Harry Potter and the Torch of Caelum
by Shamrock Holmes
Summary: [COMPLETE! OotP SPOILERS!] When Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 6th year, the build-up to war continues and Harry must investigate mysterious occurences at the castle with the help of his friends and Civis the Hobgoblin. HG, RH and others.
1. Chapter 1: Results

Chapter One: Results  
  
It was nearly two o'clock in the morning, but at the Burrow in the village of Ottery St Catchpole, a fourteen-year-old red-haired girl was still sitting up awake, reading by the light of a lit wand, this girl's name was Ginny Weasley and though most people of her age - even if they were a witch, which she was - would only be awake if they had some particularly difficult school work to complete, she was doing something different. She was trying to help a friend. Unfortunately, the book she was reading, The Subtle Guide to Transdimensional Travel by William Parry, was most definitely not telling her what she wanted to know. Sighing quietly, so as not to wake the girl sleeping in the bed across the room, she began to read again.  
  
There are many dimensions known to be attached to our own, most of which are highly dangerous and should not be travelled to under any circumstances as it may also be difficult or even impossible to return. The most common dimension to which unwary - or foolish - travellers go is one by the name of Caelum. Caelum is a pan-dimensional realm which constantly intersects and communicates with several lesser dimensions as well as our own. Little is known about the inhabitants of this dimension, however the Council of Custos, who have had dealings with them before, have suggested that it is the place where the gods worshiped by many Muggle religions live, and have also confirmed the presence of several dimensions within its borders inhabited entirely by demons and other non-human creatures. What is known however, is that the capital city of Caelum is inhabited by at least six immortals of great power known as Auctor the Almighty, Lord Aduro, Lord Vox, Lord Ira, Lady Luxia, Lady Aquari and Lord Fatalis.  
  
The abilities of four of these individuals are unknown, however Lord Fatalis has been described as a powerful Seer, and is also claimed to have the ability to plot the path of a person's entire lifeline and see past the veils of space and time into other dimensions. Lord Vox, who is currently rumoured to have been resident in this dimension for at least a decade or two, and has been seen in the American state of California on several occasions over the years, is believed to have the ability to produce a rock- shattering scream and control people's minds with his voice - much in the manner of the Imperius Curse - he is also believed to be highly resistant to most forms of offensive magic and to, despite his small height of around eight feet, possess a strength comparable or even superior to that of a large giant.  
  
Ginny sighed again and turned over the page, this was all very interesting but it wasn't helping. In a letter written to her, Ron and Hermione two weeks before, Harry had admitted that he had been having nightmares about his godfather, Sirius Black - who had been killed during a Death Eater ambush at the Department of Mysteries about a month before - being in great danger somewhere, and not dead at all. Ron had characteristically not taken this idea very seriously, and even Hermione been reluctant to get involved, citing the need to get started with work on her NEWTs (though Ginny doubted studying was the only thing she and Ron had been doing up in his bedroom late at night), so that left Ginny to research the topic alone. After two weeks of searching and not finding the information she was looking for, Ginny was beginning to feel a little foolish about the whole thing, and the looks she got from anyone else in her family told her very clearly that they definitely thought she was. Despite this, she couldn't bear to stop looking, so she confined her reading to the few quiet moments she could get away from the house, and to late at night.  
  
She was just about to begin reading again, when she was distracted by a rustling sound from across the room. Her roommate, Hermione Granger, who like Ginny was a witch, although a Muggle-born one and a year older, sat up. "Ginny! Don't tell me you're still reading those stupid books about other dimensions! Half of them are Dark Magic and the rest are about as useful as Gilderoy Lockhart!"  
  
"Sorry, but I am," admitted Ginny. "I'll get some sleep now though," she said, putting the book on the floor and extinguishing her wand. "'Night."  
  
"Good night, Ginny."  
  
Hermione Granger was widely acknowledged to be one of the smartest witches of her generation, and it was rare for her to be proved wrong. However, today, she would be.  
  
----  
  
The realm of Caelum boasted many unusual and mysterious locations, but done were the subject of more speculation than the large mirrored chamber at the top of the Golden Tower, home of Auctor the Almighty and his inner circle. This chamber was the Vault of Destiny; home of Lord Fatalis, the immortal all-seeing sentinel of Caelum.  
  
Fatalis - a coal-skinned man of average height and lean, almost frail stature and clad in Romanesque robes of deep royal purple - sat in his gold and ebony throne in the middle of the room, idly scanning over the mirrors, peering into one world or another but spotting nothing of particular interest. Then suddenly he started out of his seat, a frown creased his ancient visage and his hawkish yellow eyes narrowed. "What is he doing there? That is neither his proper time nor place! Nuntius, get in here now!"  
  
Seconds later, a ghost-like being shimmered into existence to the right of the seer's chair. The being, whose name was Nuntius, was a member of an order of minor spectres called Psi-Wraiths, who acted as servants and messengers to the more powerful inhabitants of Caelum. "Yes, my lord. How may I be of assistance?"  
  
"Find Lord Aduro and ask him to come here. Immediately!"  
  
"Yes, my lord." said Nuntius. Then after bowing deeply, he disappeared.  
  
After a minute or two, another man entered the room, this time teleporting in inside a column of light. His appearance could hardly have been more different. He was chalky-white skinned and at eight feet two inches and easily as heavy as six normal men, all muscle, clearly a warrior.  
  
"You called?"  
  
Fatalis sighed, Aduro was good, possibly even the best, but his sense of humour was... annoying. "I need you to go to Necrodemus, find the human who has wandered there by mistake and take him home." He raised a skeletal hand to forestall an interruption. "Then, make sure it doesn't happen again... ever. Understood?"  
  
"Sounds like a plan," said Aduro with a grin, which was not a pleasant sight to see. "I'm on my way." he declared and left the same way he arrived.  
  
"I hope he's in time," muttered Fatalis. "This was not part of the plan."  
  
----  
  
Most of the residents of Privet Drive in the little village of Little Whinging, Surrey were happy to say they were quite normal, thank you very much, and so they were asleep at ten-to-midnight on the thirtieth of July. However, one reluctant resident of Number Four was still awake and he was as not normal as it was possible to be. His name was Harry Potter, and he was a wizard.  
  
This, in and of itself was unusual enough, as his odious relatives the Dursleys frequently reminded him, but Harry was unusual even among his own kind. He was attacked at the age of one by the darkest and most evil sorcerer of modern times, Lord Voldemort, and escaped on that occasion with nothing more than a cut on his forehead, while Voldemort himself was reduced to a mere spirit.  
  
As if this wasn't enough, he had also been forced by events to oppose Voldemort on four separate occasions since arriving at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry almost five years before, with the help of his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger: In his first year he had had to stop Voldemort, who was sharing the body of Hogwarts professor Quirenius Quirrell at the time, from stealing a Philosopher's Stone that was hidden under the school; in his second year he had entered the legendary Chamber of Secrets to kill a basilisk and stop Tom Riddle (Voldemort's younger self) from coming to life by draining the life-force of Ginny Weasley; in his fourth year he was used in a ritual to resurrect the Dark Lord and survived another attempt to kill him; and just over month ago, at the end of his fifth year, he and his friends along with Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley and his new friend Luna Lovegood, a fifth year Ravenclaw, were caught in a deadly ambush at the Department of Mysteries' offices in London, only escaping with their lives thanks to the arrival of Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black and several more of the Order of the Phoenix, though Sirius was apparently lost to them during the fight.  
  
It was that loss and the guilt surrounding it that was largely responsible for Harry's lack of sleep over the past few weeks, though the ever-present nightmares and visions caused by his link to his nemesis were another reason. Harry couldn't shake the thought that Sirius was lost somewhere and that if he could only find him, or his body, everything would be better. He greatly appreciated Ginny's efforts in researching where Sirius might have gone and ways to find him and - as he had on several occasions previously, when his thoughts turned in that direction - he berated himself for ignoring her for four years, she had been a good friend to him the previous year and her sound advice and honest understanding had helped him through a particularly rough patch over the Easter holidays. He scowled as he remembered the original reason why he and Ginny had finally been able to become friends: she had been dating sixth year Ravenclaw Chaser Michael Corner, another member of Harry's illegal DA club. He was very glad that she and Michael had fallen out though - given the fact that he was now dating Cho Chang, a seventh year who had also been in the club, and whom Harry had dated briefly during the year after having a crush on her since he first clashed with her at the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match in his third year - this was a feeling that slightly puzzled Harry.  
  
There was a whisper of feathers outside Harry's window and a familiar hoot caused Harry to jerk his head upwards. Hedwig was back, and she had brought friends. Picking up his wand he pointed it at the window and quietly cast an Unlocking Charm at the window - unlike on previous years there were no warnings from the Improper Use of Magic Office, he had got Uncle Vernon to sign an Underage Sorcery Permit two weeks ago, by threatening another visit from Mad-Eye Moody and Mr Weasley.  
  
Hedwig immediately flew inside, followed by two of the Weasleys' owls; Errol and Pigwidgeon, and three owls Harry didn't know, one of which he did recognise as a Hogwarts owl, all six birds carried at least one parcel. Harry retrieved all the parcels, and the Hogwarts owl and the two strangers flew out back out the window while Hedwig and Errol flew to her cage and Pig continued his frenetic flying around the room.  
  
Hedwig carried two birthday presents and a birthday card, from Professor Lupin and Sirius' cousin Tonks. Lupin had bought him a new pocketknife replacing the one ruined during the Department of Mysteries incident, Tonks had bought him a leather spring-loaded holster that would bring his wand into his hand with flick of his wrist and included a short note:  
  
Harry, Sirius asked me to get you this before he died. Have a good summer! Tonks.  
  
Pigwidgeon's parcel proved to be a joint present from both of his best friend's: a copy of Curses and Countercurses by Professor Vindictus Viridian and a box of Chocolate Frogs. Mrs Weasley had sent Errol with the usual birthday cake, Ginny gave him a wristwatch spelled to be waterproof and unbreakable, and Fleur Delacour and Bill had clubbed together to buy him a long trenchcoat of Hungarian dragonhide, which according to Bill would protect him from a wide range of spells and curses including Stunners and the Reductor Curse. The next two packages, from Mad-Eye Moody and his new friend Luna Lovegood, yielded a Pocket Foe Glass and a year's subscription to The Quibbler, the newspaper run by Luna's father.  
  
The package carried by the Hogwarts owl contained a birthday card and a box of Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans from Hagrid, and the yearly letter addressed in the familiar green ink favoured by the schools Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall. As in third year, it was rather thicker than normal and Harry was sure he could feel something hard sliding around inside the envelope. He quickly tore open the envelope and pulled out several sheets of parchment, most where of plain parchment and written on in McGonagall's neat script but one was on parchment edged in gold and covered with writing in an ornate flowing hand. Putting aside the second parchment he unfolded McGonagall's letter first:  
  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)  
  
Dear Mr Potter,  
  
Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross, Platform Nine-and-Three- Quarters, at eleven o'clock.  
  
I am also pleased to inform you that following the removal of Dolores Umbridge from her post as Hogwarts High Inquisitor, the Headmaster has revoked your lifetime Quidditch ban, and you may return to your position of Seeker on the Gryffindor Team.  
  
Furthermore, after consultation with the Headmaster and Madame Hooch I have decided to appoint you Quidditch Captain effective September the first. Please find enclosed your badge and a list of candidates recommended by Madame Hooch as possible new players.  
  
Harry reached into the envelope and sure enough the silver badge he had seen pinned on Wood, Angelina and (in photos) his father's Quidditch robes gleamed back at him. He set it on his bedside table and continued to read.  
  
You will need to replace Miss Johnson and Miss Spinnet, and I would also suggest you look into replacing Mr Kirke and Mr Sloper too. If you have any queries, please see me after the first Transfiguration lesson of term.  
  
A list of books for the new year is enclosed.  
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Professor M. McGonagall  
  
Deputy Headmistress  
  
After skimming over the other two parchments - one of which, his equipment list, instructed him to acquire The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 6), A Practical Guide to Self-Transformation by Metam Orpho, Advanced Alchemical Theory by Steven Taylor, The Omnipedia Botanica by Brian Greenmoss, Dangerous Beasts and How to Cope by Arnold Drake, and The Caligus Compendium: A Guide to Common Dark Curses by Lucifer Deville, before the beginning of term; and the second which had a short list of possible candidates for the vacant positions including Ginny, Dennis Creevey, and several names Harry only vaguely recognised from the Sorting Feast the year before - then he put them to one side and picked up the final piece of parchment:  
  
WIZARDING EXAMINATIONS AUTHORITY Head Examiner: Griselda Marchbanks  
  
ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL CERTIFICATE  
  
Candidate: Harry James Potter House: Gryffindor  
  
Summary:  
  
OWLs received = 12  
  
Subject Grades  
  
Astronomy P/P  
  
Charms O/E  
  
Care of Magical Creatures E/E  
  
Defence Against the Dark Arts E/O  
  
Divination P/P  
  
History of Magic D  
  
Herbology A/A  
  
Potions O/E  
  
Transfiguration E/E  
  
NB: Where only one OWL grade is given for a subject, it refers to performance in the theory assessment.  
  
Where there are two OWL grades given the first OWL  
  
is the theory one.  
  
Harry grinned. "Not too bad, Harry," he said to himself. "Probably not as good as Hermione, but not bad at all." He put the certificate on his bedside table and for the first time in a long while, he fell asleep with a smile on his face. 


	2. Chapter 2: Lost and Found

Chapter Two: Lost and Found  
  
Harry woke early the next morning and dressed quickly in a T-shirt and jeans, then strapped his new wand holster on to his right wrist and slotted his wand into it. After a few tries he was able to catch his wand as it popped out, so he left the room and headed downstairs.  
  
The Dursleys - with whom Harry had been forced to live since the death of his parents at the age of one - were all in the kitchen when Harry entered it a few minutes later. Uncle Vernon and his cousin Dudley - whose massive form had unfortunately converted even more of itself into muscle over the course of the year - were seated at the table eating cereal, Uncle Vernon was also reading the newspaper, while Aunt Petunia was frying bacon and eggs at the stove. Uncle Vernon looked up and scowled as Harry helped himself to some cereal and a couple of slices of slightly burnt toast, but said nothing. While in previous years the Dursleys had been unkind - even nasty - to Harry, a warning delivered to them by Mr Weasley, Lupin, Moody and Tonks on the last day of term meant that they were to scared to now and had make do with scowls and frowns.  
  
After cereals, toast and a very small portion he decided to return to his room, there was only so much of the hostile atmosphere pervading the room he could take. It was lonely up in his room but at least Hedwig liked him.  
  
When he got back to his bedroom he noticed that Errol and Pig had left and Hedwig was perched inside her cage with her head under a wing, sleeping. He lay back down on his bed and cracked open Curses and Countercurses and began to read.  
  
About three hours later, just as he was finishing the page on the Tongue- Tying Hex and the Tooth-Enlargement Curse by Aunt Petunia's shrill voice calling up to him from downstairs. Harry hopped off his bed and reluctantly headed downstairs.  
  
Uncle Vernon and Dudley had disappeared, but Aunt Petunia was standing outside the sitting room with a very sour look on her face. "There are some of them in there. They want to talk to you." she sniffed in disapproval and returned to the kitchen. Harry grabbed the door handle, opened the door, and entered the room.  
  
Several familiar faces were standing or sitting in the room - Mad-Eye Moody, Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge, Emmeline Vance and Hestia Jones - the only one's missing from the 'advance guard' who had picked him up almost a year ago were the Aurors Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt. "What's wrong?" asked Harry. "No-one's died or anything?"  
  
"No," Moody assured him. "But something has come up, you need to come with us now."  
  
"Okay," said Harry, quickly moving to the door. "Oh, by the way Professor... What did you get me for my birthday?"  
  
Moody chuckled, "You've got good instincts Potter, an Auror's instincts. I got you a Pocket Foe Glass."  
  
"Your impostor said that too, and Professor McGonagall thinks I could manage it." Harry offered and left.  
  
When he returned to the living room a few minutes later, he was wearing his new floor-length jacket. "Nice coat Potter," commented Moody. "Dragonhide?"  
  
Harry nodded, "Hungarian Horntail. Bill and Fleur sent it for my birthday. They thought it might come in handy."  
  
Moody nodded. "Tonks flinched a Portkey for us from the supply at Auror Headquarters, it'll take us to the alley behind Purge & Dowse Ltd."  
  
Harry frowned, "We're going to St Mungo's and I'm supposed to believe that everything's fine. I may be only sixteen, but I'm not stupid Professor!"  
  
"I wasn't suggesting you were Potter," growled Moody. "I haven't lied to you, and you'll find out what's going on once we get there. Now take hold of the Portkey so we can go. Now!"  
  
Once all six of them had a finger on the Portkey, a battered old pocket- watch, Harry felt a familiar jerk in the vicinity of his navel, and they disappeared from Number Four Privet Drive.  
  
----  
  
As Moody promised they appeared an the alley behind the Purge & Dowse building. After Doge checked that the street was clear, they moved towards the shop front with Mad-Eye Moody and Elphias Doge in the lead, Emmeline Vance and Hestia Jones to left and right, with Harry between them and Dedalus Diggle bringing up the rear.  
  
When they reached the window display of Purge & Dowse Ltd, Doge leaned forward and addressed the single dressmaker's dummy - which was now wearing a bright pink sundress. "Hello, we're here to see the patient in the High Security Ward." The dummy nodded and beckoned them forward. The six obeyed and passed through the 'window' into the reception area.  
  
Harry was rather surprised at the crowd that they walked into. There must have been at least a hundred-and-fifty people crowded into the small hall. Moody ignored the crush around the welcomewitch and strode towards a small door opposite the main double door into the main wards.  
  
"Why is it so busy?" Harry asked. "It wasn't even a quarter as busy last Christmas."  
  
"Because there are a lot more patients than there were last Christmas, Potter." Moody growled.  
  
"The Death Eaters started launching raids and surgical strikes against Muggleborns, and high-ranking Ministry officials about a week after Fudge announced Voldemort's turn." explained Emmeline Vance, seeing that Harry was still confused. "The Order is also keeping other known supporters of Dumbledore, like your Defence class from last year, except for the graduates of course."  
  
"They're all okay aren't they?"  
  
Moody nodded. "Bill Weasley and our new Curse-Breaker Henry Neal are checking the wards and protections, two of our other new recruits Lady Meredith and Stewart Kylan have been putting up."  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
"Lady Meredith is a Spell-Weaver, she uses wandless magic and builds spells from scratch. Kylan's a Magistructor."  
  
"What are they?"  
  
"They use spells to design and build wizarding buildings." explained Diggle. "It's going well. According to Bill Weasley they've put up the strongest wards he's seen outside of Hogwarts."  
  
By that time, the group had reached the end of the corridor. The blank- faced door in front of them was flanked by two wizards in the cream and gold uniforms of the British Corps of Aurors: Kingsley Shacklebolt, and another new recruit, who Moody identified as Jason Draper.  
  
"Everyone else stay here," ordered Moody. "Potter, follow me."  
  
Harry nodded and moved up to stand at Moody's left.  
  
"Password?" asked Draper.  
  
"Apollo's Chariot." Moody replied.  
  
Kingsley nodded, then cast a complex unlocking spell on the door and stood to one side so they could pass him.  
  
Moody opened the door and walking in with Harry following a step behind. Professor Lupin and Tonks were there, standing at the end of a broad king- size bed. The room itself was richly decorated in blue, white and silver. Lupin turned to look at them as they entered and a smile crossed his old face. "You got him then, Alastor?"  
  
Moody nodded, "It was easy, Mrs Dursley was quite helpful."  
  
"That would be a first." muttered Harry. "Why am I here Professor?"  
  
"There's someone here who what's to say hello, Harry." explained Lupin and moved to one side.  
  
The patient was a thin, gaunt man with long, tangled black hair. He smiled. "Happy Birthday Harry."  
  
----  
  
At first Harry didn't know what to say. He's alive! Sirius is alive! After a minute or two, he managing to pull himself together enough to speak. More or less. "What... how... I thought you were dead... How did you?"  
  
"That would be me." said a strange voice behind him.  
  
Harry's nerves had been as tight as a violin string ever since he left Privet Drive. He spun round immediately to see who had spoken, flicking his wand into his hand as he turned.  
  
Two men were standing by the small door on the right-hand side of the room, which Harry supossed led to a bathroom - one, an elderly long-haired, long- beard man with half-moon spectacles, was Harry's headmaster Albus Dumbledore; the other, whose pale, massive frame seemed even larger in the small room, was Lord Aduro of Caelum.  
  
----  
  
"What... I mean, who are you?" asked Harry. "No offense."  
  
"None taken," Aduro assured him. "My appearance often startles mortals."  
  
"You're not a mortal?" Aduro shook his head. "Then you're not human?"  
  
"No, I am not." confirmed Aduro. "I am not even of this realm. Though my siblings and I have visited often over the span of your race's existence."  
  
Harry paused for a moment, then repeated his original question. "So who are you?"  
  
"My name is Lord Avatar Aduro Deunatus, servant of High Lord Auctor Deupater, ruler of pan-dimensional realm, Caelum."  
  
"So how did you find Sirius?"  
  
"Our realm encompasses dimensions of many different kinds, including those where mortal souls travel to when they have lost their connection to the mortal world. One of our number, Lord Sentinel Fatalis Mindeus, saw that your godfather had ended up in one such realm before his time and asked me to return him to his proper location." explained Aduro. "I have also been asked to help deal with this Dark Lord that has plagued you recently."  
  
Harry thought he detected a hint of sarcasm in the flame-thrower's voice when he said 'Dark Lord'. "You mean Voldemort."  
  
"Yes, I do." confirmed Aduro, with another of his disconserting grins. "He challenges what separates the wizards and the divine. This is no longer acceptable."  
  
"So you will help us fight him?" asked Harry.  
  
"Yes, I will."  
  
----  
  
Ginny and Ron were in the middle of a fairly intensive Quidditch practice - which Hermione was half-watching from the ground while paging through Jinxes for the Jinxed - when Ginny spotted a familiar snowy-white bird flying towards the Burrow. She grinned, then dropped the apple she was using as a Quaffle and headed for the ground. "Ron, Hermione. Hedwig's coming!"  
  
"Are either of you expecting a letter?" asked Hermione curiously, marking her place in her book and standing up as her two friends touched down.  
  
Ginny and Ron both shook their heads. "Hedwig brought his reply to the last letter three days ago, on her way to pick up Harry's presents from Tonks and Professor Lupin." confirmed Ginny, holding out her leather-covered arm for Hedwig to land on. She did, and Ginny quickly removed the small roll of parchment from her leg. Hedwig took off and headed for the open window of Ginny's room, intending to get some rest on the rough perch that had been rigged up for her by Bill the week before.  
  
Ginny tore open the note and Ron and Hermione listened while she read it out aloud:  
  
Dear Ron, Hermione and Ginny, I've just found out the most amazing news. Sirius is alive! Apparently the portal he went through sent him to somewhere called Caelum.  
  
The three children were stunned. Ron summed it up best. "Wow."  
  
"I've been reading about that place," commented Ginny. "There are some very powerful people living there."  
  
"In what way?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Who cares?" scoffed Ron. "Keep reading Gin."  
  
One of the guardians of that realm, Lord Avatar Aduro Deunatus, found Sirius and brought him back. He's a little shaken up, so he's under a Healer's care at the moment, but he'll be fine by tomorrow morning.  
  
Ginny paused to take a breath. "Is that it?" asked Ron. Ginny shook her head.  
  
And that's not all. Apparently Wormtail and five other Death Eaters attacked Sharon Bones and her family earlier today. Two of the Order were there and they managed to capture Wormtail and another Death Eater with the help of Madame Bones' bodyguards. Wormtail has confessed to committing the crimes Sirius was accused of and Madame Bones has agreed to give Sirius a public trail to establish his innocence.  
  
The trail will be in Old Courtroom Ten at eleven o'clock tomorrow morning. We're trying to get it done without Fudge or Percy getting wind of it. Even though the Ministry is supposed to be on our side now, we don't want to take any chances. All three of you, and any of the other loyal Weasleys are welcome to come of course, I'll be there with Professor Lupin, Moody and Tonks. If you can get hold of Neville or Luna, tell them they're invited too.  
  
See you then.  
  
Love,  
  
Harry.  
  
Ginny let go of the parchment and it fluttered to the ground. She dashed towards the house, yelling for Mrs Weasley. Hermione bent down and picked up the fallen letter. "That's really good news isn't it?" she asked Ron, and grinned widely.  
  
"Yeah it is," agreed Ron, slipping his arm into the crock of his friend's elbow. "And Merlin knows Harry could do with some."  
  
Hermione nodded and the two friends walked briskly towards the house, arms interlocked. 


	3. Chapter 3: The Long Awaited Trail

Chapter Three: The Long Awaited Trial  
  
Half an hour before the trail was due to start; Harry, Professor Lupin and Tonks arrived at the visitor's entrance to the Ministry. Ray Harker - the red-haired keen-eyed new recruit who had been driving them - and his girlfriend, Sandra Troy, an athletic raven-haired woman, led the way to the telephone box. As they were travelling incognito, they wore a variety of clothing: Harry wore black trousers and a green shirt, under his new dragonhide coat; Professor Lupin, a old grey suit almost a well-worn as his robes; Tonks wore her Weird Sisters T-shirt over a pair of black jeans; Ray Harker was dressed in a maroon tracksuit and red cross-training shoes; and Sandra wore a black Muggle halter-top and jeans topped off with silver- blue, dragonhide boots and a black dragonhide jacket. Sandra and Harker quickly scanned the street for Muggle and non-Muggle observers, Harker nodded and they moved forward quickly. Tonks stepped forward and picked up the handset, the others crammed in behind her, and she dialled quickly and spoke into the mouthpiece. "Nymphadora Tonks, Auror, escorting Remus Lupin and Harry Potter to witness a trail on Level Ten, also present are Raymond Harker and Sandra Troy."  
  
Four badges dropped into the coin slot and Harry handed three of them back to the others. The operator reminded them that they would have to submit to a security check and then the box began to sink into the ground. When they arrived at the Atrium they swept through it - the statues atop the fountain had still not been replaced - and over to the security desk, which was manned by the same wizard who had been there almost a year ago, Eric, Harry thought his name was. Harry, Remus, Harper and Sandra handed over their wands for inspection - Remus' was thirteen inches long and made of oak and unicorn hair; and Harker's was fifteen inches long and made of yew and dragon heartstring; while Sandra carried an eleven-and-a-half inch olive and phoenix feather wand - then entered the golden lift.  
  
Two minutes later, they came out into the Department of Mysteries. Harry paused at the threshold, neither of his previous visits to this level of the Ministry had not been pleasant, Professor Lupin took him by the arm and guided him forward. "Everything will be okay Harry. Trust me."  
  
Harry smiled slightly. "It's just. difficult, that's all."  
  
Lupin nodded. "I understand. It's not easy for me either."  
  
They walked in silence for a few minutes until they caught up with another large group of people, heading the same way, just down the corridor from the courtrooms - seven redheads, a young woman with platinum blond hair, a young girl with dirty blonde hair and a distracted air, and another girl of Harry's age with bushy hair who carried a large, leather satchel. "Hi guys!" said Harry, beaming. It had been over a month since he'd seen any of the Weasleys, the blond woman, Fleur Delacour, or the other two girls - Ginny's friend, Luna Lovegood and his best friend, Hermione Granger.  
  
"How are you Harry?" Hermione asked. Ginny, Ron and the twins turned to listen. Luna might have too, with her it was hard to tell.  
  
"I'm fine," Harry assured her. "At least I have since. since." he paused.  
  
"Sirius returned." Ginny finished for him.  
  
Harry nodded, "I've been staying with Professor Lupin and Tonks at his house since my birthday. Two or three of the new recruits are with us at any one time." he indicated Harper and Sandra. "Harper, Sandra. These are my friends, the Weasleys. Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron - one of my best friends, Ginny, and their father Arthur." Harper and Sandra nodded in acknowledgement. "Plus Fleur Delacour, Bill's girlfriend, Hermione Granger - my other best friend, and Luna Lovegood, another friend."  
  
He took a deep breath. "Hermione, Luna, Fleur, Weasleys... this is Ray Harker and Sandra Troy, they both work for the Order."  
  
Mr Weasley suggested they move inside. Bill, Fleur, Charlie and Tonks, followed him immediately, but Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the twins, and Luna held back to stand with Harry. Harper and Sandra took flanking positions as they moved inside and sat down on the benches facing the judges panel, to the right sat twelve witches and wizards who would serve as the jury. Only three other people were present: Rita Skeeter, and two tall, broad- shouldered men Harry didn't recognise - though several of the others did - whom Tonks identified in a whisper as Kenneth Clarke, a journalist for the Daily Prophet and Barty Williams, an announcer of the Wizarding Wireless Network.  
  
"All rise for the Wizengamot," ordered the same cold, male voice that had spoke the last time Harry was there. Everyone rose to their feet and stood as the fifty witches and wizards clad in plum-coloured robes strode in. As they took their seats, Harry was pleased to see that three faces from last time were missing. "Bring in the prisoners."  
  
The door on the opposite side from the ones that they, and the Wizengamot, had entered through creaked open. First to come through the door was a small, bald man in grey Ministry-issue robes, flanked by five wizards in the blue-and-silver livery of the Hit-Wizards - Harry recognised two of them, Jason Draper and Josef Phobus, a brawny, and rather sinister and intimidating man, who had been recruited to the Order only two weeks before. Wormtail won't be able to slip away this time, Harry thought to himself with a certain amount of satisfaction. Wormtail was escorted to one of the two chairs in the centre of the room, and he sat down, the chains attached to the edge of the chair promptly snaked up to ensnare him. Contrastingly, when Sirius was escorted in a few moments later by Kingsley and two Ministry Inquisitors loyal to Dumbledore, he was not imprisoned by his chair.  
  
"The chairs only imprison the guilty," explained Tonks. "There's a spell on the chains that senses feelings of guilt."  
  
"Now everyone who needs to be is here, we shall begin," announced Dumbledore from his seat at the centre of the bench. "We are here today to determine the facts of the events of November 1st 1981, and to determine the guilt or innocence of Sirius Lee Black of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London, regarding the charge of wilfully killing thirteen Muggles with a single curse. The charge of wilful murder in the case of Peter Pettigrew is summarily dismissed due to the presence of the individual concerned in the courtroom at this instance."  
  
"Interrogators: Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of Magical Law Enforcement; Hestia Veritas, Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. Court Scribe: Adolphus Waffling."  
  
"Mr Black, could you please describe for the court the events which lead to the death of thirteen Muggles and your incarceration in Azkaban Prison."  
  
"Yes Professor," Sirius replied. "On October 24th 2003, James and Lily Potter were told that Voldemort intended to make a move against them due to a prophecy which said that their son Harry would destroy him. The Potters went into hiding under the Fidelius Charm."  
  
"And you were their Secret Keeper?" asked Madame Bones.  
  
Sirius shook his head, "That was the original plan as I intended to go into hiding myself, but I persuaded them to change to Peter at the last minute, as a misdirection ploy."  
  
"So you are saying that you were not directly involved in the deaths of Lily and James Potter?" clarified Madame Bones.  
  
"Yes, I am Your Honour." confirmed Sirius. "I only heard about the attack after it happened. I rushed to Godric's Hollow and found Rubeus Hagrid retrieving Harry from the ruins of their house. I tried to persuade him to let me take Harry - I was his godfather, you see - but Hagrid insisted on taking Harry to Little Whinging to live with his Muggle aunt and uncle."  
  
Dumbledore nodded confirmation of this when Madame Bones looked at him. "For his protection, you understand?"  
  
Madame Bones nodded, "Continue Mr Black."  
  
"The next day, Peter caught up with me in London. In front of Muggle witnesses, he accused me of betraying my friends and then killed a group of Muggles behind him with his own wand, which he had hidden behind his back."  
  
"I see, and can you explain why Mr Pettigrew would try and frame you. And how and why he was believed dead?"  
  
"Yes Your Honour, I can." Sirius answered. "He tried to frame me for the same reason that he betrayed Lily and James in the first place. He is a coward, more interested in saving his own skin than doing what is right. As for why he fled. I discovered during my time in Azkaban that many of the Death Eaters knew that Voldemort had been told where James and Lily were hiding by Peter, they thought he lured Him to his destruction deliberately. The reason why everyone believed that he was dead, was that after he chopped off his own finger, he transformed into a rat and escaped into the sewers where no-one could find him."  
  
"He transformed?" blurted out Madam Veritas. "How did he do this?"  
  
"By using the Animagus Transformation your Honour," Sirius explained. "During our fifth year, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and I became Animagi. We never registered ourselves, although I believe James may have told one or two of his superiors in the Corps of Aurors that he was an Animagus."  
  
"Can anyone else verify that Peter Pettigrew is indeed an Animagus?" asked Veritas. "Other than Pettigrew himself of course."  
  
"Yes, Your Honour."  
  
"Are any of them present here today?"  
  
"Yes Your Honour."  
  
"And they are?"  
  
"Remus Lupin, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."  
  
Veritas scanned the audience until she spotted Harry. "Mr Potter, please stand and address the court."  
  
Harry stood immediately. "Yes Your Honour." "On your honour as a wizard. Can you verify that Peter Pettigrew is indeed an Animagus. a rat Animagus to be precise?"  
  
"I can Your Honour."  
  
"Have you witnessed this transformation?"  
  
"Yes Your Honour," Harry replied. "During my third year in the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade Village during the evening of the June full moon I saw Worm- Peter Pettigrew return to human form from that of a rat."  
  
"What were you doing in Hogsmeade at time of night?" asked Madam Bones.  
  
"That matter is outside the purview of this hearing and has already been dealt with." Dumbledore told her. "Please continue Harry." "Thank you Professor. About an hour later, in the grounds of Hogwarts, I saw him transform again, this time into a rat. It was then that he managed to escape."  
  
"Thank you Mr Potter. You may be seated." Veritas told him. "Mr Black, do you have anything more to add?"  
  
"No Your Honour."  
  
"Very well," said Veritas. "Mr Pettigrew, please tell us your version of the events outlined by Mr Black."  
  
After a little, non to gentle, prodding from Kingsley, Wormtail spoke and naturally confirmed everything that Sirius and Harry had said was true. When he had finished speaking, Dumbledore spoke up again. "Peter Pettigrew, did you aide and abet the kidnapping and illegal imprisonment of Bartemis Crouch Sr; furthermore, did you brew illegal necromantic potions with the intention of resorting Lord Voldemort to his full power; and did you in fact inflict actual bodily harm on Harry Potter to this end?"  
  
"I did."  
  
"Therefore, I ask that the jury deliver its verdict," said Dumbledore, looking at them over his half-moon spectacles. "Raise your hands if you believe that Sirius Lee Black is guilty of the charges levied against him?" Harry held his breath. Not a single hand was raised. "I therefore declare Mr Black innocent of all charges. Does the jury believe as I do that a sum of ten-thousand Galleons would be suitable remuneration?" This time every hand was raised.  
  
Dumbledore waited until Kingsley and the Inquisitors had escorted Sirius out of the room before he continued. "In the case of Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, does the jury feel that he is guilty of the crimes of which he stands accused?" Again every hand was raised. "Does the jury feel that such crimes deserve the maximum possible sanction?" For a third time, every hand was raised. Dumbledore glanced at both the witches sharing the bench with him, they nodded. "Peter Pettigrew, under the Crime and Sentences Act 1867, an Animagus may, at the discretion of the trail interrogators, be defined as a Beast for the purposes of sentencing."  
  
Harry leaned over to whisper to Tonks. "Is Dumbledore about to do what I think he's about to do?"  
  
Tonks nodded. "He is."  
  
"Oh... Good."  
  
"Peter Pettigrew. by the authority vested in me as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot of Britain and Ireland. I hereby decree that you shall be taken from this place, and then to a place of execution, where your head will be stricken from your body. Go in peace."  
  
Dumbledore waited until Wormtail had been taken from the room and then spoke again. "Court dismissed."  
  
"I hope somebody other than MacNair is holding the axe." muttered Harry as they moved out of the courtroom, Ron and Hermione where on his left, with Tonks, Lupin and Moody on his right. Ginny, Luna and the other Weasleys walked behind them and Harker and Sandra stood in flanking positions outside the group. Ron nodded grimly, he still took Wormtail's betrayal of them as personally as he ever had. As they passed the seat where Rita was sitting she opened her mouth to speak, but a scowl from both Harry and Hermione made her change her mind.  
  
Sirius was waiting for them when they reached the Atrium, the two Inquisitors were nowhere to be seen, but Kingsley stood slightly behind Sirius. Harry knew he shouldn't but he couldn't restrain himself. He ran forward and embraced Sirius with so much violence that the former convict almost fell over. "I thought I'd lost you forever and now you're here. and a free man too. When can I move in?"  
  
"As soon as you want to Harry. I don't want you to ever return to those Muggles." Sirius told him. "I hope you don't mind if we make it Remus' house? At least until I can get a few things sorted out? I've had enough of Grimmauld Place to last me a lifetime."  
  
"No problem." Harry assured him. He had no particular wish to return to Grimmauld Place either.  
  
Harry said his goodbyes to the Weasleys, Hermione and Luna and followed Sirius, Professor Lupin, Tonks and their escort back up to the street. Harker's car was exactly where he had left it, so all that as required was a quick Expanding Charm so they could all fit in.  
  
That night Harry didn't get much sleep, he was too worked up by being back with Sirius again and in a place that felt like a home too. Not his home, Harry reflected, but homely none the less.  
  
A/N: I hope you like what I've written so far. It's been fairly light so far but it may get darker later. Please review following the link below or by e-mailing me at behomuk@yahoo.co.uk. More will be coming soon. Dumbledore's final sentencing speech is adapted from the one used by English judges before capital punishment was banned. 


	4. Chapter 4: Gryphon's Eyrie

Chapter Four: Gryphon's Eyrie  
  
When Harry came down the next morning, Sirius, Tonks and Professor Lupin were already awake and clustered around Lupin's small battered kitchen table, they appeared to be eating breakfast, but they were also chatting to two other wizards, who were perched on the kitchen cabinets, one of which Harry recognised as Jason Draper, who was today dressed in a crimson muscle T-shirt and green tracksuit bottoms. The other young wizard, who looked about the same age, had tawny yellow-brown hair, the oddest eyes Harry had ever seen, and wore scarlet and white robes.  
  
Sirius turned to look at Harry as he came in and smiled. "Hi Harry, I'm glad you're up, I'd like you to meet Jarred Laken, he'll be filling in for Corinne Anderson for a few days. She had some family business to take care of."  
  
"Nothing serious, I hope?" Harry asked, looking at Draper rather than Sirius, he figured that as Corinne's boyfriend he would be the most likely to know.  
  
Draper shook his head. "Just family stuff, nothing to do with the war. She'll be back by the end of the week tops."  
  
Sirius picked up an envelope that lay on the table in front of him. "Harry, Jarred brought me a package from my vault at Gringotts. Now I've got it, we can go."  
  
"Go where?"  
  
"To your ancestral home, Harry."  
  
A hour later, the group, who had been joined by Sandra and another friend of theirs, Antonia Menotti, a pale dark-haired girl with a similar taste in clothes to Sandra exited the Floo Network into what Harry could only assume was a gatehouse. As usual, Harry managed to trip and fall as he came out of the fireplace, causing his glasses to break. "Not again," he muttered. "I can't wait till I can Apparate."  
  
As soon as Lupin exited the fireplace, Harry handed his glasses to him. He eyed the shattered lenses and removed his wand from a pocket inside his robes. "We really should see about getting you some wizard spectacles Harry. However. Oculus Reparo." Seconds later, the glasses were whole once more and Remus returned them to Harry.  
  
"Harry, are you coming?" said Sirius. "We should get going."  
  
"I'm coming Sirius, Professor Lupin was just fixing my glasses. I broke them again."  
  
"We should really get you some wizard glasses Harry." said Sirius, moving to the large golden door that formed most of the far wall.  
  
"Professor Lupin just said same thing."  
  
Sirius unwrapped the small package to reveal two gold keys, both of which had griffins at the base. "Take one of these keys and put it in this lock." Sirius instructed, pointing to one of the two large keyholes set into the door's face. "I will do the same with the other key. On my signal, turn the key a quarter-turn precisely and say the words 'domus suävis domus' at the same time as I do."  
  
"What happens if I get it wrong?"  
  
"Then nobody will be getting inside until one of us dies."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"In actual fact," Sirius continued. "I've just realised that you haven't named an heir. So nobody would ever be going in."  
  
"Let's get it right then." said Harry.  
  
"Yes, let's." Sirius said. "Are you ready?"  
  
Harry nodded and inserted his key in the lock. "Ready."  
  
Sirius copied the motion and nodded to the others. They took up a defensive line behind them with Remus and Tonks in the middle, Sandra and Antonia at the ends and the others between them. "After three. One... two... three."  
  
"DOMUS SUÄVIS DOMUS!"  
  
There was a rumbling sound from the doors and a bead of light ran down both sides of the lock pedestal and up towards the lintel. Seconds later, the pedestal dropped into the floor and the two halves of the door itself parted and returned the jibs.  
  
Sirius turned back to look at his godson. "Harry. Welcome. to Gryphon's Eyrie."  
  
----  
  
Harry hadn't a chance to pack his trunk before he left on his birthday, so the next day he took the Floo to Mrs Figg's house - Sirius, Professor Lupin, Tonks and Draper accompanied him, as did Ginny, who had come over to visit at breakfast, claiming that she couldn't stick another minute of being the third wheel to Ron and Hermione, a sentiment that Harry could certainly sympathise with.  
  
"We'll get the Floo back to Gryphon's Eyrie from the Dursleys', Arabella." Sirius told the old woman as they headed out of her front door. "So don't wait for us. We'll see you at the Order meeting at Grimmauld Place on Saturday night won't we?"  
  
"You will," confirmed Mrs Figg. "Don't kill any of them Black. I don't want to have to clean up the mess."  
  
Sirius assumed an expression of feigned innocence. "Why Arabella, what makes you think I would do anything to them?"  
  
"Because those. people would try even a saint, Black. And you're no saint."  
  
"Why thank you Arabella," said Sirius, totally straight-faced. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."  
  
"Can we get moving?" asked Draper, impatiently. "We're rather exposed here, and I'd like to avoid trouble if possible."  
  
Sirius nodded, and Tonks and Draper led the way to the corner of Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk, with Sirius and Professor Lupin bringing up the rear.  
  
Five minutes later, they arrived at the front door of number four, Privet Drive. Draper went up to the door and knocked on it. Petunia Dursley opened the door a few seconds later, when she saw Draper she paused, trying to figure out if she'd ever seen him before, then she spotted Harry over his shoulder. "Get inside," she hissed. "I don't want the neighbours to see you."  
  
"Draper, stay in the hall and keep watch." Sirius told the Hit Wizard, once Petunia had disappeared into the living room. "Ginny, Tonks, why don't go with Harry and get his trunk packed. Remus and I just need to have a little word with Harry's aunt and uncle."  
  
"I bet they won't enjoy that conversation," observed Ginny.  
  
"Probably not." Harry agreed with grin. Tonks didn't seem too upset at the prospect, but said nothing.  
  
"I could stay out here." Ginny offered hesitantly, when they arrived on the first floor.  
  
Harry shook his head, then taking out his wand, he released the Locking Charm he had put on his room before he left and ushered her inside. Tonks followed them inside and closed the door. Harry immediately crawled under his bed to retrieve his most valuable possessions: the Marauders' Map, his broomstick, his Invisibility Cloak, the photo album given to him by Hagrid at the end of his first year, his old Sneakascope and his new Pocket Foe Glass. Ginny moved to Harry's desk and began to gather up Harry's school books and piled them into his cauldron, then stacked up his papers and tucked him into some free corners. Tonks finished Harry's packing by moving his clothes into the trunk and fixing it closed with another Locking Charm.  
  
"You wait here, Harry," said Tonks. "I'll go and see if Sirius and Remus have finished their 'conversation' with the Dursleys yet."  
  
Harry nodded and watched her as she headed down the stairs and into the living room. He was so focused on watching the living room door for her to come out, he missed the creak of a door to his right as Dudley came onto the landing.  
  
"Who's this Potter? Your girlfriend?" he asked, grabbing her by the arm - her wand arm, in fact. "Surely she couldn't be that desperate?" He looked Ginny up and down, and Harry could tell he was mentally undressing her. "She's not actu..."  
  
They never found out what he was going to say, because at that moment Harry drew his wand and pointed it at his cousin's forehead. "Let go of her," Harry ordered. Dudley obeyed, looking rather scared. "Touch Ginny, or any of my friends again and I'll kill you. Understand?"  
  
For once in his life, Dudley Dursley had no problem figuring out what his cousin had said to him. With a whimper, he fled back into his room and slammed the door. "Colloportus." Harry muttered and the door clicked shut. "That should hold him for a while."  
  
"Thank you Harry," said Ginny, looking Harry in the eyes.  
  
Harry could see a tiny tear glistening in the corner of one eye and without thinking he reached out and wiped it away for her. "That's okay Gin," he told her. "You... your family, Hermione, Sirius... maybe Tonks and Professor Lupin, you mean the world to me. You're the only family I've got, and I don't want anything to happen to any of you."  
  
"Am I interrupting something?" asked a voice from behind them.  
  
Harry spin round and raised his wand. It was only Draper. "What is it?"  
  
"We're ready to go," said the raven-haired Hit-Wizard, his eyes unreadable behind his black shades. "Sirius wants you to come downstairs now."  
  
Harry nodded and pointed his wand at his trunk. "Locomotor trunk. Could you possibly... not mention that I lost my temper with Dudley to anyone? Please?"  
  
"I didn't see a thing Harry, I was too busy watching out front, wasn't I?"  
  
"Yes, I suppose you were Jason, weren't you?" Harry agreed after a moment.  
  
When they entered the living room, Harry noticed immediately that the boards covering the fireplace had been removed and a fire was already burning in the grate. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mrs and Mrs Dursley huddled in the far corner, under the watchful eye of his godfather. Tonks was missing, apparently she'd already gone through. At Harry's urging, Ginny took a handful of Floo Powder next and stepping into the flames. Once she was gone, Harry manoeuvred his trunk into the fireplace and took some Floo Powder for himself from Professor Lupin. He threw it into the flames and shouted, "Gryphon's Eyrie!"  
  
And with a flare of green flame, he disappeared.  
  
----  
  
The next morning, Harry was in what was rapidly becoming his favourite place to think - the balcony outside his opulent quarters at the top of the keep - watching the sun rise above the flat grey-blue expanse of the North Sea, when a harsh, cackling voice broke the silence, bringing him out of his meditative state. "Knut for your thoughts?"  
  
"Civis! What have I told you about sneaking up on me?" said Harry, his eyes still fixed on the horizon.  
  
"The same thing your father, grandfather and every other master of this house told me since I got here." Civis replied, as Harry turned to face him. As a hobgoblin, the warden resembled a heavy-set, six foot tall, house- elf, and he was dressed in somewhat medieval style that he had worn when he greeted them on their return from Surrey the day before: grey breeches, black boots, and a scarlet lace-up shirt under a black dress cloak. "Sirius wants you downstairs for breakfast. You're meeting your friends in Diagon Alley at nine to get your school supplies, so you'll need to get a move on."  
  
"I'll be down in a few minutes," Harry told him, turning to go back inside. Civis nodded and disappeared with a 'crack'.  
  
When Harry left his room about fifteen minutes later, showered and dressed in a pair of clean, outsized jeans and his Weasley jumper from the year before, Civis was waiting for him, perched on the stair rail. When he saw Harry he jumped down and walked at Harry's side as he descended the long wooden main stair. "What were you thinking about anyway?"  
  
"Lots of things really." Harry admitted with a sigh. "The prophecy. Sirius coming back."  
  
"What happened yesterday with your cousin?" suggested Civis, slyly.  
  
"Yes that to." Harry agreed. "I meant it, Civis. I really would have killed him. The curse was on the tip of my tongue. I almost killed my cousin over an insult. What does that say about me?"  
  
"That's not what bothers you most about yesterday, and you know it Harry." Civis chided him. "It's why you reacted so violently to what he said. From what Ginny said it wasn't that bad."  
  
"I would reacted the same way if it'd been Hermione, Luna, Cho, even Katie, Angelina or Alicia."  
  
"No you wouldn't have Harry," retorted Civis. "Well Hermione maybe. From what I've heard listening to you, Ginny and others, you do care a lot for her. But not in that kind of way."  
  
"What kind of a way do you mean?"  
  
"How many of the portraits do you remember in the Entrance Hall?"  
  
"The ones of the masters of the house and their families?" Civis nodded. "Let's see. My mum and dad of course, James Tiberius Potter and Lily Evans. Their parents, Tiberius Algernon Potter and Antonia Kirtland. My great- grandparents, Algernon Delphineus Potter and Agatha Bones." He went on for about five minutes, by which time they'd nearly reached the ground floor. ". Gudrun Gryffindor and Simon Atticus Potter. And finally Gudroc Gryffindor and Helena Hawkesmoor."  
  
"Not bad. You got thirty out of the thirty-five."  
  
"As I said to Ginny yesterday my family is important to me."  
  
"You missed out two younger sons who inherited after the death of their older sibling: David James Potter, 1268-1294, and Terrence Alfred Potter, 1402-1451. You also forgot the dead-end line of the Claymore family."  
  
"Simon Claymore and Joanna Potter, 1763-1799, Siegfried Claymore and Augusta Fielding, 1799-1864, and Serena Claymore 1864-1908. Serena Claymore died unmarried and without a clear heir, so the estate passed to my great- grandfather Algernon Potter, who was the great-grandson of Joanna Potter's younger brother Harold."  
  
"So you did remember them after all," said Civis, with what could have been a smile but on him more closely resembled a leer. "Very good. Full marks."  
  
"What's your point?"  
  
"Lily Evans, Agatha Bones, Petunia Portland, Simon Claymore, Rachel Summersby, Augusta Fielding, Gudrun Gryffindor, Helena Hawkesmoor, and eighteen of the others. What do they have in common?" Harry thought for a minute, but couldn't come up with anything. He shook his head. "They were all redheads Harry. Eighteen of the women and seven of the men who have married the heir in your family have been redheads. Three more: Cassandra Alderton, Alyson Blareau and Natasha Crosby, have been blondes. Are you seeing a pattern here? 'Cause I saw it in 1662 when Henry John Potter married Regina Anne Stokes, another red-head."  
  
"Ginny is not my girlfriend, she's seeing Dean Thomas!"  
  
"Well, two things about that." said the hobgoblin, with what was definitely now a leer. "First, I know she isn't, but you like her to be. And, second. who said she was seeing Dean Thomas? She's here, not with him, isn't she?"  
  
Harry was spared further conversation as they had arrived in the big work kitchen in the basement of the keep. Professor Lupin, Sirius, Tonks, Ginny, and two of the Order - Jarred Laken and Antonia Menotti - were sitting at the large scrubbed pine table in the middle of the room eating porridge. Velky, one of the six house-elves that were still at the castle, was working at the huge cast-iron stove. "What can I do for you Master Harry?"  
  
"Porridge please," said Harry, sitting down between Ginny and Laken and opposite Sirius. "Sausages, or bacon and eggs too."  
  
After a quick breakfast of sausages, eggs and fried bread, Sirius, Harry and Ginny donned coats or cloaks and followed Civis down to the gatehouse and all four of them Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron pub on Charing Cross Road, the covert entrance to Diagon Alley.  
  
A/N: The Warden of Gryphon's Eyrie was inspired in part by Robin Goodfellow aka Puck, the servant of Oberon in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bonsocus is derived for the Latin for 'good fellow'). 


	5. Chapter 5: Shopping for Supplies

Chapter Five: Shopping for Supplies  
  
As usual, the group headed for Gringotts to get some more money. When they reached Harry's vault he tried as usual to hide the contents from Ginny as he piled handfuls of gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts into his moneybag, at Sirius's vault even Harry was amazed, there was even more gold in there than there was in his own. "Uh, Civis. is there another Potter vault?"  
  
The hobgoblin nodded. "The one we were in is just your trust fund. The Gryphon's Eyrie vault is on the high security level, vault seven hundred and fifteen. I have the key with me, do you want to see it?"  
  
"No thanks," said Harry as the cart accelerated upwards on its way back to the reception area.  
  
"Another day maybe."  
  
As they exited the bank, Ron and Hermione rushed up to meet them, Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour followed at a slightly more sedate pace. Hermione flung herself on Harry as usual. "How are you Harry?" she asked when she broke away.  
  
"I'm fine 'Mione," Harry assured her with a grin. "Having Sirius back and living with him, Professor Lupin and Tonks. it's great. Civis has been helpful too."  
  
"Civis?" asked Hermione.  
  
"That's right, you haven't met him." Harry turned to see where he was and beckoned him forward. "Hermione, Ron, Bill, Fleur. this is Civis Bonsocus, he's a hobgoblin and he's been looking after Gryphon's Eyrie since my family built it back in the Founders' time. Civis, this is Hermione Granger, one of my best friends, Ron and Bill Weasley, Ginny's youngest and oldest brothers, and Fleur Delacour, she's Bill's girlfriend and she was the Triwizard Champion for Beauxbatons two years ago."  
  
"Charmed." said Civis, and bowed slightly.  
  
"Harry, I've got to meet someone at the Daily Prophet in ten minutes. Can I leave you with Bill, Fleur and Civis?" Harry nodded. "Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch okay? And be careful, Diagon Alley's pretty secure, but be careful."  
  
"I will be." Harry assured him. "See you later." Harry waited until his godfather had disappeared into the crowd and then turned back to his friends. He smiled to himself when he noticed that his two best friends were standing together, holding hands, although they didn't seem to be aware that they were doing it. "Where shall we go first?" he asked them.  
  
"Might I suggest Madam Malkin's Harry?" said Civis. "And perhaps Gladrags?"  
  
"He's right Harry," Ginny told him. "You need some more clothes. One's that haven't been worn by that slimeball cousin of yours first."  
  
The others agreed and so they headed to that corner of the Alley, with Harry and Civis in the lead and Bill and Fleur bringing up the rear. When they entered Madam Malkin's, Harry gave Civis a nod and the hobgoblin began to distract Hermione and the two younger Weasleys. Harry then pulled Bill to one side and handed him a second moneybag from under his robes, the eldest Weasley's eyes bulged slightly in surprise. "Harry, I can't."  
  
Harry held up his hand to get Bill's attention. "Bill, I know what your family's like about money, but hear me out."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"You work at Gringotts, so you've probably got an idea the size of my vault." Bill nodded in agreement. "I've got more money in there than I know what to with and I've only got another year at Hogwarts after this one. Even if I have live on my savings for a few years that's not going to be a problem." Bill nodded again. "And on top of that, Civis just told me that that was my. school fund, I guess. My family has another vault in the high security section with even more gold and probably other treasures too. That's not counting the fact that the paintings, statues and other valuables at Gryphon's Eyrie are probably worth a couple of million Galleons. So. if I give you. your family some very much needed gold occasionally, I'm not being charitable. In fact, you're probably doing me a favour by spending it. Okay?"  
  
"Okay," said Bill. "I'll keep it, and I'll slip anything left to Ron and Ginny somehow."  
  
"As long as that doesn't leave you short." Harry told him. "There's plenty more where that came from."  
  
Bill grunted and moved away towards the section where men's dress robes were hanging and Fleur was waiting. Harry looked around and spotted the others clustered around the second-hand school robe racks. He went over to them and dragged Ron and Ginny back to the main part of the shop by their arms. Hermione followed without fussing, a slight smile on her face. "Bill says he's going to get you some new robes instead of those old ones. Both of you are prefects now, you have to look good." Ginny had mentioned to him that she had been made a prefect, when they were touring the flying horse stables with Sirius and Civis the night before.  
  
An hour later, the four teenagers, Bill and Fleur exited Madam Malkin's, each with a wrapped bundle under their arm, Civis following behind them. Ron and Ginny each had two new sets of school uniform and two new cloaks: a heavy black one for winter wear and a lighter grey cloak for warmer weather. Hermione and Harry had bought themselves a couple of new sets of robes and a light cloak, and Bill and Fleur had a set of dress robes each and a new dragon hide jacket and boots for Bill. The next shop they visited was two doors down; the London branch of Gladrags Wizard Wear, after getting some good advice from Bill, Fleur and Civis - and ignored some questionable advice from Ron - Harry obtained four sets of new casual clothing; jeans, shirts and t-shirts, two new pairs of shoes, one in dragonhide and one in ordinary leather plus a couple of tracksuits. After handing over enough gold to pay for his purchases, Harry asked the assistant if it would be possible for them to send his packages up to Gryphon's Eyrie, the assistant promptly could on an expression that suggested he was in heaven, and replied that this would be done immediately.  
  
The group made quick stops in the Apothecary and the stationers and then finally ended up in Flourish and Botts, all four students bought new copies of their books for the year and Harry grabbed a couple of other books recommended to him by Professor Lupin, Tonks and Civis. After paying for it all he looked around for the others, Hermione had buried her nose in a thick textbook in the Arithmancy section, Ron hovering at her shoulder, Ginny was browsing the second-hand fiction section, Bill and Fleur were in the Dark Arts section looking for new books on curse-breaking, and Civis was standing at the door watching the street. Harry walked over to Ginny, and rested a hand on her shoulder. Ginny turned and smiled. "Hi Harry, are we moving on?"  
  
Harry nodded. "I'm going to and you can to come with if you want. Hermione's still absorbed in her books and Ron looks like he doesn't want to budge from her side. Bill and Fleur will keep an eye on them." He glanced at the book that Ginny still held in her hand, it looked like a medieval adventure story of some sort to him. "Are you going to get that?"  
  
Ginny shook her head, "I'm just skimming through it. I'd like it, but I haven't got the money to pay for it. Maybe I'll get it for Christmas."  
  
She moved to put it back but Harry reached up and closed his own hand over hers and took it from her. "I'll get it for you, Ginny."  
  
Ginny blushed with embarrassment, something she rarely did around him anymore. "I didn't mean."  
  
Harry reached up and pressed his hand to her lips, silencing her. "I know you didn't, Ginny. Let me buy it for you. Call it a Christmas or birthday present I should have given you before. Especially last year, I shouldn't have forgotten you."  
  
"Okay Harry," agreed Ginny with a little smile. "Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome." Harry told her and headed for the cash desk to buy the book.  
  
As they were passing the cauldron shop, a young girl wearing Muggle clothing ran out and knocked Harry over. When Harry looked up at his 'attacker' it was almost like looking in a mirror - although the girl looked about ten or eleven, she had the same messy black hair that he did and wore identical round glasses, most strangely she also had his green eyes. "Hello," he said, pushing against her until they were both in a sitting position and then he helped her up. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine," she told him. "Sorry for knocking you over like that."  
  
"That's fine. I've had much worse done to me." Harry told her. "My name's Harry, Harry Potter. What's your name?"  
  
"I'm Jamie Clayton, I'm an orphan."  
  
"Me too. Are you here on your own?"  
  
"No, She's with me." replied a voice from behind them.  
  
Harry turned to see who it was. "Hi Professor," he said. "Have you seen Hermione yet?" he asked, knowing that his friend was one of Professor Jones' favourite students.  
  
"No I haven't Harry," he admitted. "Is she in Flourish and Blotts?"  
  
"Yes, and in she was in your section, when we left her and Ron a couple of minutes ago."  
  
"Ron Weasley, is intentionally choosing to say in a bookshop instead of going to."  
  
"Quality Quidditch Supplies." Harry supplied with a grin. He had found Henry Jones a rather amusing person to talk to ever since they met during his fourth year.  
  
"That is odd. Was he reading?"  
  
"No Professor. Just watching."  
  
"As I suspected." Professor Jones replied drolly. "Have there been any developments?"  
  
"Not that I've been told. No surprise there though."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Is Jamie related to you, Professor?"  
  
"No Harry, Jamie's parents were Muggles. I'm taking her around as a favour to Albus." Jones told him. Then he appeared to be struck with an inspiration. "Would you mind showing her the rest of the Alley. After the ride at Gringotts and suffering through forty-five minutes of Octavos Ollivander's company, I need a drink."  
  
"I won't mind," Harry admitted. "What do you think Jamie?"  
  
"I'd like that Harry." Jamie replied.  
  
"Okay then. Can you meet me in the pub by one o'clock?"  
  
Jamie nodded and took the small bag of gold from Professor Jones before he walked away. "Where are you going now?"  
  
"Quality Quidditch Supplies," Harry told her. "Would you like you meet my friends?"  
  
Jamie nodded. "Yes please."  
  
Harry took her by the shoulder and turned her around to face Ginny and Civis. The young girl started a little when she saw Civis. "Who. what are you?"  
  
"Greetings. My name is Civis Bonsocus," Civis told her, bowing deeply. "I run Harry's house for him."  
  
Jamie giggled slightly. "Hi." she turned to Ginny. "Are you Harry's girlfriend?"  
  
Ginny blushed, "No Jamie, I'm just a friend. My name's Ginny, Ginny Weasley."  
  
"Nice to meet you." said Jamie. "What's Quidditch?"  
  
Harry smiled. "Quidditch is a wizard's sport, the wizard's sport really, we play it at Hogwarts. I'm the Seeker for Gryffindor and Ginny's my backup."  
  
"But I want to be a Chaser though." Ginny told her.  
  
"Seeker? Chaser? Gryffindor? I'm confused."  
  
"Chasers are like strikers in football, there are three on each team and they try to put the Quaffle, a large red ball, through a set of goals guarded by a Keeper." Harry explained. "A team's Seeker tries to get a small, winged, flying ball called the Golden Snitch before the opposition Seeker. It's worth a hundred-and-fifty points and ends the game."  
  
"Each team also has two Beaters, who fly around the pitch protecting their team from two large iron balls called Bludgers which try their best to kill anyone on the field except the referee." Ginny added. "Two of my brothers, Fred and George, played for Gryffindor until they left last year. The one's we've got for this year at the minute are pretty pathetic."  
  
"Gryffindor is one of the four houses at Hogwarts," added Civis. "The other three are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. I think Gryffindor's the best but then I'm probably biased."  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"Gudroc, the man who first hired me to work at Gryphon's Eyrie, was the second son of Godric Gryffindor, the man who established Gryffindor House." Civis replied. "And most of my lieges and their families since have been Gryffindors too."  
  
By this time, they had reached Quality Quidditch Supplies, Harry opened the door and the four of them entered the store. They didn't spend long in the store, Harry picked up a new set of pads and gloves and a small book on Quidditch tactics. He briefly considered getting a new set of robes but decided against it. At his recommendation, Jamie bought her own copy of Quidditch Through The Ages, Flying With The Cannons ("If you decide you don't like them, don't say anything in front of Ron."), and a couple of other Quidditch books. Ginny introduced them to two Gryffindor second years: Connor David and Henry Shaw, who she knew had wanted to try out after Fred and George had been banned from playing by Umbridge.  
  
After a quick return visit to Flourish and Blotts to pick up Ron and Hermione and buy Jamie's books, the group headed to the newest shop in the Alley: Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. "Does your family own this shop?" Jamie asked Ginny.  
  
Ginny nodded, "Fred and George opened it about two months ago. Harry gave them some money to get started."  
  
"Which reminds me," said Harry. "Did the twins ever get you any new dress robes Ron? I think you mention they did but."  
  
"Yeah they did," said Ron. "A set of maroon ones. Why?"  
  
"Because I told them to in return for the Triwizard winnings."  
  
"I hate maroon," moaned Ron. "Why did they have to get me maroon ones?"  
  
"Because you look good in maroon Ron," Hermione told him. "Apart from the frayed cuffs, even your old robes didn't look too bad."  
  
"You really think so?" said Ron, hopefully. Hermione nodded.  
  
"Dress robes?" Jamie asked Civis in an undertone.  
  
"More elaborate robes than are normally worn, usually made of velvet, wool or silk for men and satin or silk for women." he replied. "They are used for formal occasions like dances, weddings, funerals, that sort of thing."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"No problem."  
  
They entered the store and were soon approached by Fred. "Hi everyone. How are things? Whoa! Uh, Harry. who is that?!"  
  
Harry grinned. "Fred, meet Civis Bonsocus, he's a hobgoblin and the warden of the Potter estate up in Scotland. Civis, meet Fred Weasley, he and his twin have been favourably compared to the Marauders."  
  
"I see. then they have most certainly chosen an very appropriate business venture."  
  
"You knew the Marauders?" said Fred, his eyes bulging in surprise.  
  
"Intimately." Civis confirmed. He glanced at Harry, who nodded. "You know them too, well three of them."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. You would them better as: Professor Remus Julius Lupin, Mr Peter Pettigrew, Mr Sirius Lee Black. The fourth, who you never met, was Mr James Tiberius Potter."  
  
"Professor Lupin was a Marauder?!" squeaked Fred. "No wonder we could never pull off a prank in his class." He paused then looked at Harry. "Your father was a Marauder? James Potter, a Head Boy?"  
  
"Yes, he was Prongs, a stag; Sirius was Padfoot; Pettigrew was Wormtail, a rat."  
  
"Appropriate too," commented Fred. "And Lupin was Moony obviously." Harry nodded. "What can we do for you?"  
  
"Just thought we'd have a look around. Got anything new?"  
  
"Nothing finalised, we do have one or two prototypes though, we've been too busy making enough to cover demand for what we've got. Lee's trying to find us some help but no luck so far."  
  
They spent about a hour in Fred and George's shop, and when they left Harry carried a bag which contained several Weasleys Wizard Whizzbangs, a pair of Extendable Ears (improved model), a prototype of a See-Through Spyglass, which according to George was supposed to allow you to look round corners and see through solid walls. Hermione hadn't looked particularly pleased when Harry picked up that item but had conceded that in the right hands it could be quite useful.  
  
By this time it was almost quarter to one so they had to hurry back to the Leaky Cauldron so that Jamie could meet up with Professor Jones and return to the orphanage where she lived. Harry, Ginny and Civis followed the two of them through to the front door to Professor Jones' car where they said goodbye. "I'll see you on the train," Harry told her, as he returned the friendly hug she gave him. "You remember how to get through onto the platform don't you?" Jamie nodded and then got into the passenger seat of Professor Jones' Land Rover.  
  
"You were good with her." Ginny commented as they watched the car pull away.  
  
"Yeah I know," Harry agreed, sounding slightly puzzled at this. "I just feel a, connection, with her I guess. Maybe it's because we look similar and we're orphans."  
  
"Could be," admitted Ginny. "What do you think Civis?"  
  
The hobgoblin had been hiding in the shadows outside the pub with his hood up hiding his face while they said their goodbyes. "Could be. But it could be something else. I'll have a think on it."  
  
"You do that." Harry told him. "But I what some lunch so let's go back inside and find Sirius."  
  
"Good idea."  
  
After lunch, Sirius took them round a couple more shops, including an optiwizard where he bought Harry some new glasses, and Florean Fortescue's for ice cream, and then they all Flooed back to Gryphon's Eyrie.  
  
Later that afternoon, Tonks, Sirius and Draper challenged Harry, Ron and Ginny to a match out on the Quidditch field south of the main keep, although the 'oldsters' eventually lost four games to one - Harry beat Tonks to the Snitch nearly every time - the play was sufficiently brisk that Harry had no trouble getting to sleep that night, and though he wasn't using Occulmency to shield himself, any dreams he had were Voldemort-free.  
  
A/N: Follow the link below or e-mail behomuk@yahoo.co.uk to leave a review. All opinions, as long as they are substantiated, will be gratefully received. If you would like a response, please supply return e-mail details. 


	6. Chapter 6: Let your training begin

Chapter Six: Let Your Training In The Martial Arts Begin.  
  
For the next couple of days, Harry, Ron and Ginny spent most of the mornings and part of the afternoons practicing Quidditch, trying to get Ginny comfortable with the moves she'd need as a Chaser on the Quidditch team next year. Although Harry wanted Ginny on the team, as a Chaser if possible, he wanted her to try out like anyone else. There would be no favouritism on his team.  
  
However, Harry rarely saw either Ron or Hermione outside of meals or Quidditch practice, they were too busy studying privately in Ron or Hermione's bedroom up at the keep. When they choose to disappear, Harry and Ginny went off and did something fun by themselves. On the Wednesday after their arrival, they were just about to return to the Eyrie after flying Ravlin and Aeneus - two of the flying horses - out to the mountains behind the keep for a picnic, when Sandra and Civis appeared in front of them.  
  
"What's up Civis?" asked Harry.  
  
"Sirius, Remus and Tonks just got back from a meeting at Grimmauld Place. It's bad." replied Civis.  
  
"Okay. You want me to come back with you then?" Civis nodded and offered Harry a hand. "Sandra'll take Ravlin back for you."  
  
"Ginny, I've got to go. I'll see you later."  
  
Ginny nodded and mounted her chestnut winged mare, Aeneus. "'Bye Harry."  
  
They disappeared with a crack a few seconds later.  
  
----  
  
When they reappeared in the kitchen of the keep, Sirius and Remus were already there. Harry raised his elbows when he saw the glass in Sirius' hand, he wasn't sure but he thought it contained Ogden's Old Firewhiskey. Remus and Tonks were both drinking tea from small cups. Also surprisingly all of the 'Guardians' - as Harry had begun to call the junior members of the Order who rotated guard duty at Gryphon's Eyrie: Jason Draper, Ray Harker, Sandra Troy, Jarred Laken, Corinne Anderson and Antonia Menotti - were all present, which had never happened before as far as Harry could remember. The looks on the faces of most of those present were grim, even Tonks and Antonia were clearly unhappy and that was something Harry hadn't seen before either. "What's wrong?"  
  
"It's begun." Sirius told him. When Harry didn't look terribly enlightened, he elaborated. "Voldemort has started his major attacks. Death Eaters attacked three prominent wizarding families last night: The MacMillians, the Patils, and the Zabinis."  
  
"Was anyone hurt?" Harry asked. "Are Ernie, Parvati and Padma okay?"  
  
Sirius nodded. "The Order has been guarding both their families since the beginning of the holidays. One of ours, Richard Todd, was slightly injured by falling stonework, but he'll be fine. According to his partner, Barbara Caine, the Patil twins fought well. In fact, according to the reports I've seen the three DA members managed to capture five Death Eaters between them. Five more were caught and four killed by the Ministry and the Order."  
  
He sighed. "Unfortunately the Zabinis weren't so lucky. Because we weren't expecting them to be attacked - they're almost exclusively Slytherins, generally not anti-Muggle though, never have been - nobody was watching them. Mr Zabini and his bodyguards managed to hold them off though, until the Ministry could send Aurors. Three Hit-Wizards were killed and Mrs Zabini, Auror Sergeant David Thomas, and two more Hit-Wizards are in critical condition St Mungo's. They managed to capture one Death Eater, a recent Ravenclaw graduate, Arnold Falcon."  
  
"Why the Zabinis?"  
  
"We're not sure. Although it could be that Zacharias Zabini is the Junior Under-Secretary. They may be trying to scare him into siding with them." Remus replied, then shook his head. "It won't work though, the Zabinis have never been linked to the Dark Arts, they're one of the few Slytherin families who haven't been."  
  
"How many Death Eaters were involved?" Harry asked, he wanted to know how far Voldemort's recruitment had got.  
  
"Twenty-six." Tonks replied. "Between the Order, the Ministry and your friends we accounted for fifteen."  
  
"Anyway Harry, we were thinking that it is about time that you started training for battle." Sirius said, leaning over the table and looking his godson straight in the eye. "We all know that you're going to have to face him, and sooner rather than later, and I for one would like you to survive."  
  
Harry nodded. "Me too. But what sort of training. duelling?"  
  
Sirius shook his head. "Not yet Harry," he paused for a moment. "Voldemort is a powerful sorcerer with powers that we can't possibly comprehend. So I believe - and so do Albus and Remus - that the key to defeating Voldemort will be to use something he's not expecting. Now we haven't had much luck with finding spells that fit the Prophecy, but we are still looking. So we've decided that for now you'll learn Muggle combat techniques: martial arts, sword-fighting and other things. We think that will take him by surprise and maybe give you the edge you need. You want to give it a go?"  
  
Harry's response was immediate and emphatic. "When can I start?"  
  
To his surprise, neither Sirius nor Professor Lupin that answered, Draper answered instead. "Tomorrow morning in the auditorium on the first floor. Five am. Don't be late."  
  
----  
  
Harry left the kitchen and headed up to his bedroom, Civis following a few steps behind. When he reached his suite, his three friends were waiting outside. Harry opened the door, ushered them inside and then followed himself. Civis joined them, closed the door and then climbed into a wooden stool near the door.  
  
"Well, what's going on?" asked Hermione, as she sat down on Harry's sofa with Ron. Ginny sat down in the single armchair, while Harry turned his leather desk chair to face his friends and sat down.  
  
"There were more attacks last night." Harry told her. "Ernie and the Patils were both targeted, and so were the Zabini family."  
  
"Are they okay?" asked Hermione.  
  
Harry nodded, "Only minor injuries, although Mrs Zabini, several Ministry people, and Richard Todd, one of ours, were injured, all but Todd critically. A few Death Eaters were caught though."  
  
"Good, at least something's being done." said Ron. "According to Dad, the Ministry's still in a mess."  
  
Harry agreed with that sentiment. "That's pretty much what Sirius and the others have been hinting too."  
  
"Did they say anything else?" asked Ginny. "Yeah, Jason and some of the other Guardians are going to teach me Muggle fighting."  
  
"Really, why?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Well." Here Harry paused. "What I haven't told you guys is that we do actually know what the Prophecy said."  
  
"Go on," said Hermione, slightly irritated.  
  
"I don't know if I'm remembering it exactly," admitted Harry. "But it goes something like this... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."  
  
"So what you're saying is. that if the prophecy's right, you really are the only one who can defeat Voldemort." said Ginny.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Are you sure about this, Harry?" asked Hermione. "Divination isn't exactly the most precise branch of magic after all."  
  
Harry nodded, "Normally I'd agree with you Hermione. But this is a special case. Trelawney actually went into a meditative trance when she made this one, Dumbledore saw her do it. The only other she did that was during my end of year exam in third year. And you know that came true."  
  
After a pause, Hermione nodded, conceding the point.  
  
"If you're sure, that's good enough for me, Harry." Ginny told him. "What she say that first time Harry? Can you remember?"  
  
Harry was about to admit he didn't, but then he realised that he did actually remember it. "Actually I do," he admitted, slightly puzzled. "She said something like. It will happen tonight. The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. Tonight. before midnight. the servant. will set out. to rejoin. his master."  
  
"And it was later that night, that Scabbers was exposed as Wormtail and escaped." Ginny concluded.  
  
"Yep." Harry confirmed. "And he was one of two Death Eaters, the other being Barty Crouch Jr - who also qualified as a 'chained servant', although he didn't rejoin Voldemort until a few weeks later - who was responsible for Voldemort's resurrection."  
  
"Y'know Harry... I really wish you hadn't stopped Sirius and Lupin from killing Wormtail."  
  
Harry grinned ruefully, "I said the same thing to Professor Dumbledore shortly after the incident."  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"He said that the future can never be predicted. That in saving his life, I created a bond. a debt, between us. And that one day I might be thankful that I'd saved his life."  
  
"Stark raving bonkers!" exclaimed Ron.  
  
"Ron!" exclaimed Hermione.  
  
"Well he is!"  
  
Scenting the beginning of another fight between his two best friends, Harry got up and catching Ginny's eye he indicated the door to the balcony. Ginny smiled and nodded, rising from her chair to join him.  
  
Ginny grinned, leaning on the stone rail, the glass door behind them blocking out most of the sound. "I wonder how much longer they're going to keep denying how they feel about each other?"  
  
"I really don't know Gin," Harry said. "It's been obvious to everyone except them since the Yule Ball. But, they still seem clueless."  
  
"Oh, Hermione knows she has feelings for Ron alright." Ginny told him. "That's why she was a bit flustered when he gave her that bottle of perfume last Christmas."  
  
"That wasn't your idea by any chance?" asked Harry.  
  
Ginny looked at him, all wide-eyed and innocent. "Who, me? How can you even suggest such a thing, Harry?"  
  
"Because you're a Weasley, and almost as devious as the twins when you put your mind to it."  
  
"Well, there is that." Ginny admitted.  
  
Realising this was probably a good moment, Harry decided to ask her a question that had been bothering him for some time. "Ginny, could I ask you something?"  
  
"Anything Harry."  
  
"On the train. when you said to Ron that you had chosen Dean, were you serious?"  
  
Ginny nodded, and Harry's heart dropped. "Yeah, I chose him to wind up Ron with. It worked. A little too well actually. He gave funny looks for a week, any time I asked to borrow Pigwidgeon. Of course, when he realised that the only people I was owling were you, Neville and Luna, he calmed down. Oh, and I owled Hermione once in the week she was with her parents. Why, did you actually think I wanted to date him?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Oh Harry. Dean's been dating Su Li from Ravenclaw since last Easter. Lavender complained about it for weeks." Ginny told him, a hint of laughter in her voice. "Besides, I don't think I'm ready for another romantic relationship yet Harry. I haven't told anyone this Harry - not even Mum, Hermione or Luna - but losing Michael, especially to Cho, it really hurt even if I did dump him. I don't want to go through that again."  
  
"Don't worry Ginny, you'll find someone eventually." Harry told her, crossing the balcony to stand behind her. "Someone who really deserves you."  
  
"I really hope so Harry," said Ginny, a little sadly, leaning back against him. "I really do."  
  
----  
  
Despite an early night, and a quiet one thanks to the meditation and focusing techniques Draper taught him a week before, Harry was not exactly eager to get up when Civis woke him at four-thirty the next morning.  
  
"I don't why I have to start so early, the sun's not even up yet." moaned Harry as he scrambled into a black tracksuit and emerald muscle T-shirt.  
  
"Unfortunately, Draper's leave has expired. He has to be at the Ministry for 9 am." explained Civis. "Sandra and a Miss Wilkes will be responsible for your afternoon training sessions but you must get in a couple of hours work with him before he leaves. Sirius' orders."  
  
"Okay, I guess I can live with that." said Harry, and followed Civis down the stairs.  
  
----  
  
By the time he joined the others for breakfast at nine o'clock, Harry wasn't so sure.  
  
"How did it go?" asked Ron.  
  
"Do you want the answer my mind knows, or the one my body's telling me?" asked Harry with a groan, reaching for the jug of orange juice and pouring himself a large glass.  
  
"Either or both." replied Ron.  
  
"Draper's a machine. He couldn't have had more than three hours sleep last night, but he had more energy than Oliver Wood on a sugar high. He put me through an hour of stretches, push-ups, sit-ups and other exercises. And that was just the warm-up. After a five-minute water break, he showed me a simple block and punch combo and had me practise that for forty-five by punching a big stuffed leather bag again and again. Then he had me practising forward-kicks for another half hour. I had to get Civis to take me up to my room and have an ice-bath, before I could get my muscles moving. I still ache all over."  
  
"Have some food and you'll feel better," Ginny told him. "And if that doesn't work I've got some Nondolere Draught upstairs. Sandra's been teaching me how to make it. It's a basic pain-killing potion for muscle injuries."  
  
"That sounds good," said Harry, smiling at the kitchen house-elf as she brought over a large bowl of porridge for him. "I'll have my usual breakfast Velky."  
  
"Yes Master Harry. It will only be a few moments."  
  
"Anybody got any thoughts about what to do today?" asked Harry, looking around at his three friends, Sirius and Lupin. Tonks, whose holiday had also finished, had already used the fireplace at the gatehouse to Floo to the Ministry.  
  
"You've got another session from two 'til four o'clock this afternoon." Sirius told Harry. "Other than that it's up to you. Remus and I have some intel to analyse for Dumbledore."  
  
"I'm up for a little Quidditch," suggested Ginny. "But if you don't feel up to it."  
  
"You go on ahead Gin. Ron told me last night he wants to go over the Starfish and Stick manoeuvre today." Ron nodded in agreement. "You don't need my help for that. I'll just sit with Hermione and get some sun."  
  
All four of them were happy with this arrangement and so an hour later, Harry and Hermione were lazing in the long grass near the Quidditch pitch watching the two Weasleys go at it.  
  
"What are her chances, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at him over a pair of Muggle sunglasses and a copy of Advanced Alchemical Theory. "Will she make the grade?"  
  
Harry shrugged and opened a new book called Noble Tactics for Wacky Warlocks he'd picked up in Quality Quidditch Supplies on his last visit to Diagon Alley. "Pretty good 'Mione. But it does depend on who else tries out. I want Ginny as a Chaser but not if it'll hurt our chances."  
  
"You and Ginny seem to be getting on very well." observed Hermione. "Should I be jealous?"  
  
She said it in a joking tone, but Harry decided to respond. "No Hermione, you shouldn't. We've gone through a lot together and as I've told both Civis and Ginny recently, you're like family to me, almost a sister."  
  
"Thanks Harry, I feel the same about you." Hermione told him. "And what about Ginny?"  
  
"She's my friend, and a good friend too. I don't know why it took me so long realise it but... I don't know. We'll just have to see how it goes."  
  
Hermione smiled slightly to herself and turned her full attention to her book, leaving Harry to sit silent on the grass watching their friends play.  
  
Harry had intended to watch Ron and Ginny play and read a bit off his book, but after awhile the heat of the day and his lack of sleep overtook him and he drifted off.  
  
----  
  
Harry's afternoon was almost as strenuous as his morning, he spent four hours practising stick-fighting - Japanese Bojitsu and Pilipino Escrima- with a friend of Draper's called Rosa Wilkes.  
  
The rest of the week followed the same pattern as the first day and by the end of the week Harry began to notice differences in himself: His body felt stronger and more flexible and he was more confident about dealing with anyone who he needed to.  
  
When he entered the training room in the afternoon the next day, instead of the white-haired, leather-jacketed young witch he was expecting, Sandra Troy was waiting and she was carrying two wooden longsword-style practice blades.  
  
"You're going to teach me how to fight with swords?" Harry asked.  
  
Sandra nodded, and tossed one to him. "You've used a sword before?" Harry nodded.  
  
"Show me what you got." she said, and raised her own blade to a guard position. "Begin!"  
  
A/N: The title of this chapter is paraphrased from one of the trailers of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Please review by e-mailing behomuk@yahoo.co.uk. 


	7. Chapter 7: Mark Evans

Chapter Seven: Mark Evans  
  
Two days before the beginning of term, Harry, and his friends were sitting in the kitchen of Gryphon's Eyrie eating breakfast, when an elderly owl - who resembled nothing as much as a large grey feather duster - flew in through one of the windows and collapsed on the table.  
  
"Errol!" exclaimed Ginny, and reached over to pry a small envelope from his beak. She quickly scanned the message and put it down. "It's from Mum. She wants Ron and I to come back to Burrow today so that she can see us before we go back."  
  
Tonks leaned over and poked Errol with her wand. "I hate to say it, Ron, Ginny, but I think your owl's dead."  
  
"I doubt it," said Ron, taking the last forkful of scrambled eggs and eating it. "He always pulls through."  
  
"No, I think Tonks is right," said Harry. "I'll get Velik to take a look at him, but I think he's had it."  
  
Once they had finished eating, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny excused themselves so they could go and pack. Harry stayed at the table for a few minutes, discussing defensive magic with Tonks and Lupin, and then he rose and headed for the back door, saying that he was going for a walk. Civis transformed into his crow form and followed at a discrete distance.  
  
Harry's first stop was the South Tower at the boundary of the castle itself, where he checked in with Velik, the house-elf responsible for maintaining the large Owlery, who told Harry exactly what he expected to hear. When he was passing the stables, he heard a familiar female voice inside. He pushed the main door open and went in. Ginny was standing at a stall several doors down with her head touching the winged gelding Aeneus, talking quietly into one of the small horse's ears.  
  
"Hi Ginny."  
  
Ginny started and swung around to face him, "Harry! You startled me."  
  
"Sorry Gin," Harry told her, walking up to stand beside her as she was quieting Aeneus, who had panicked at her shout. "Are you ready to go?"  
  
Ginny nodded, "I just came to say goodbye to Aeneus. I'll miss him. I've enjoyed our rides together over the last few weeks."  
  
"I'm sure he'll miss you too, Ginny." Harry told her. I know I will. "You can come back any time you want. What is mine is yours."  
  
"Thanks Harry," said Ginny, then she gave her horse a last pat and headed for the door.  
  
Harry gave his own horse, the iron-grey stallion Ravlin, a quick pat and then followed her, catching her up easily. "I talked to Velik about half-an- hour ago."  
  
"And...?"  
  
Harry shook his head sadly. "Velik says Errol actually had a heart attack, he stabilised him, but it'll take at least six months of rehabilitation before he can fly again."  
  
"That's going to be a problem," Ginny said. "Mum won't have an owl at home without Errol."  
  
Harry considered whether to mention a thought he'd been having since he talked to Velik, and decided it couldn't hurt. "Why don't you take one of my owls? Velik's got twelve, plus I've got Hedwig and Civis and Jarred both have bird forms, so we don't need that many."  
  
"Are you sure Harry?" asked Ginny.  
  
Harry nodded, "Why don't take one for yourself too Gin. You should have a pet."  
  
Ginny hesitated for a moment, struggling with her natural tendency to refuse. "Can I have Hedley?" she said, naming a large Snowy Owl that had caught her eye when Civis had given them the guided tour several weeks ago. Harry nodded and Ginny spent the rest of the walk back to the keep jumping up and down with joy.  
  
----  
  
The next two days passed relatively quietly for Harry, and all too soon it was September 1st and it was time for Harry to return to Hogwarts.  
  
Accompanied by Remus, Padfoot, Tonks and Civis - disguised as an elderly black-suited gentleman - Harry Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron with his trunk and Hedwig's cage. After nodding a greeting to Tom the bartender, they walked out of the front door, to where a black taxi was waiting. After getting inside Harry glanced at the driver, it was Kingsley Shacklebolt. The Auror picked up the microphone of the Muggle two-way radio. "Cyclops, this is Sovereign. The package is onboard."  
  
The radio squawked and Moody's gravely voice issued from it, "Received Sovereign. Vatus and Lex are in position, you're good to go."  
  
"Rolling now," confirmed Kingsley, putting the car into gear and pulling out from the kerb. A large black motorcycle pulling in front of them as they joined the main traffic flow. "ETA, King's Cross Station, fifteen minutes."  
  
"Received, station security is expecting you. Cyclops out."  
  
Peering through the windscreen at the man in full gold-trimmed motorcycle leathers and a red-and-black full-face helmet, Harry thought he recognised a familiar silhouette. "Is that Josef Phobus?" he asked.  
  
Tonks nodded, "And if you look behind you, you'll see another friend."  
  
Harry glanced out the small, oblong-shaped back window and immediately spotted another rider in the same outfit. The fact that this one was female and that long strands of blond hair poked out from under her helmet, allowed Harry to identify her as Andrea Castle; one of only three people who could stand being paired with Phobus and the only intelligent and down- to-earth person that Harry knew of that had managed to get an 'Outstanding' in her Divination NEWT.  
  
"Moody's not taking any chances is he?" Harry observed.  
  
Sirius chuckled, "If you think this is tight, wait 'till you see the station."  
  
It was only ten o'clock when they arrived at the station. Glancing around, Harry immediately spotted half-a-dozen Aurors maintaining surveillance outside. There was nothing wrong with their disguises - tan trenchcoats over pale-grey summer suits - but the fact that four men and two women all dressed the same were trying to pretend they didn't know each other, told them who they were.  
  
Kingsley picked up the mike as they headed in. "Sovereign to Cyclops. The package has been delivered. Handing over to on-site security."  
  
"This is Cyclops. Message received. Nighthawk and the Aurors will take it from here."  
  
The group headed into the main concourse, as they passed over the threshold with Tonks and Padfoot in the lead, Harry had an uncontrollable urge to look upwards. He did and was just able to make out a man sitting crouched on one of the beam near the ceiling. The man was marked a wizard by the fact that he wore a cloak, the rest of his outfit - black dragonhide boots, black breeches, a black ribbed stretch top with a blue and red eagle design on the chest, and full-length leather gloves, topped with a pair of wrap- around sunglasses - could have easily passed for Muggle clothing. Harry had no trouble recognising his martial arts teacher, Jason Draper. "Why's Jason hiding?" he asked Professor Lupin in an undertone.  
  
"Jurisdictional issues," Lupin told him.  
  
"Security here is being handled by the Aurors. A Hit-Wizard, especially one like Draper, who doesn't always play by the rules, won't be welcome."  
  
Harry nodded, understanding perfectly.  
  
They were crossing Platform Nine when a voice behind them caught Harry's attention. "Excuse me, are you going to Hogwarts?"  
  
Harry turned around and started when he saw a vaguely familiar face, he smiled kindly. "Yeah. I bet you don't know how to get onto the platform?"  
  
The red-haired boy nodded. "It's my first time. Can you help me?"  
  
Harry nodded, " Mark Evans, isn't it? You've had some problems with my cousin and his gang, haven't you?"  
  
"You're Harry Potter!"  
  
Harry nodded, "Guys, this is Mark Evans, he's a Muggleborn and lives in Little Whinging. Mark, this is Professor Lupin, a family friend, my companion Charles Goodfellow, and Tonks another friend and her dog Padfoot."  
  
Padfoot growled in indignation at his description but did nothing more than that. Lupin smiled to himself and then spoke, "Shall we get moving Harry?"  
  
Harry nodded, pushing his trolley forwards towards the platform, Mark, Professor Lupin and Charles followed him. "Mark, to get onto the platform, you have to walk straight through the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten."  
  
"That's crazy."  
  
"No, it's magic." Harry assured him with a grin, he'd been almost a sceptical as this boy when Mrs Weasley had first told him how to get onto the platform five years before. "Just watch Tonks and Padfoot."  
  
They passed through the barrier without incident, although Harry and Mark both had to show their tickets to a cream-and-gold-robed Auror before they could get on the train. "I'll see you at Christmas Harry." Sirius told him, he had transformed back to his human form as soon as they entered Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Harry nodded and closed the door behind him. He was just able to make out Tonks speaking into another Muggle walkie-talkie before they disappeared into the crowd. He smiled to himself, her call- sign, Changeling, was rather appropriate, as he had rarely seen her with exactly the same appearance twice. When they passed a compartment full of fist years, Harry dropped off Mark inside, although he managed to pick up Jamie instead, who had been waiting there for him. With the help of Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones - two Hufflepuff sixth years Harry was reasonably friendly with, who had also been members of the controversial Dumbledore's Army the year before - he managed to locate Neville and Luna. He introduced Jamie to his two friends and they both sat down. "The others are at the Prefects meeting I take it?" he asked.  
  
Neville nodded. "I don't know who most of the new prefects are, but Katie's Head Girl and Simon Capper's the other new Gryffindor prefect," he told Harry. "I take it you know Ginny got the badge?"  
  
Harry smiled, "Yeah. She told me when she owled back to tell me that she and the other Weasleys would be attending Sirius' trail with Hermione."  
  
"How did that go away?" asked Neville. "I know he got off, but nobody's talking about it."  
  
"It went fine. Sirius had to admit he was an illegal Animagus, but that's all been sorted out. Wormtail was executed."  
  
"Did he get any compensation? The reports in the Prophet didn't say."  
  
"Ten thousand Galleons." Neville nodded, seeming satisfied.  
  
Jamie, who had remained silent until this point spoke up, "Why was your godfather on trial Harry? What did they think he did wrong?"  
  
Harry sighed, but after a moment repeated the entire story of the Prophecy, the Fidelius Charm, Wormtail's betrayal, Sirius' capture and subsequent escape, the ambush at the Ministry, Sirius' reappearance and Wormtail's capture on his birthday, and finally the trial two days later.  
  
"You haven't had an easy life have you Harry?"  
  
"No I haven't, and with this prophecy hanging over my head is not likely to get much easier any time soon. Luckily, some of the Order have been training me since I moved to Gryphon's Eyrie so I'm a bit more prepared than I would be otherwise."  
  
The carriage fell silent after that, and the companionable silence was broken only twice, once when the snack trolley came by - Harry bought an armful of goodies so that Jamie could try a little of everything, which he did - and the second time a few moments later, when Hermione, Ron and Ginny returned from their Prefects meeting.  
  
"Malfoy's still a Prefect, worse luck." Ron told bitterly and he savagely bit off the head of a Chocolate that Luna had offered him when he sat down. "Roger Davies is Head Boy and I suppose you know Katie's Head Girl?"  
  
Harry nodded, "Neville also mentioned that Simon Capper's the other Gryffindor Prefect. Who are the others?"  
  
"Joseph Fawcett and Alana Corvus are the new Ravenclaw Prefects," Ron replied. "Summersby and Justin's little sister Vivian are Hufflepuff's and Morgan Redthorn and Jessie Blackfern are the Slytherin Prefects."  
  
"What are they like? Do you know them?" Harry asked Ginny.  
  
"Yes I do. And I think Snape chose well for once." she admitted. "They're tough, but Blackfern at least is reasonably open-minded, rumour has it she spent part of the summer with the Davies', apparently she's good friends with Roger's younger brother Huw."  
  
"And he's a Muggleborn." Harry finished for her. "Maybe we should think about bringing them into the DA this year."  
  
"We're continuing the DA?" asked Hermione, incredulously. "Why?"  
  
"Albus and I talked about it when we met at St Mungo's, he says with the school being a target like it is, it'll be a good idea for everyone who has the school's best interests at heart to get as much as they can. But it's going to be an official school club now, anyone can ask to join although we don't want too many first or second years, we're going to be learning some pretty heavy stuff, most NEWT-level. I'm still going to be in charge though and I'll have a veto on anyone who I think might be a security risk. McGonagall, Flitwick and the new Defence teacher have all agreed to act as consultants if we need them."  
  
"Who is the new DADA teacher?" asked Ginny. "Do you know?"  
  
"Yeah, Meredith Ambrose. She's one of the Order's curse specialists."  
  
"She's a lot more than that Harry," said Hermione, with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice. "She's a Spell Weaver, one of only a handful that have been born in the last three hundred years."  
  
"What's a Spell Weaver?" asked Jamie.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath and went into what Harry often thought of as her 'lecture-mode'. "Spell-Weavers don't need to use a wand, and they can use any spell that they know exists without even needing the words or anything. They can also weave pure magic into spells and constructs at will. According to Hogwarts: A History a lot of the wards and protections around Hogwarts were put together by a man called Myelin Ambrosius, a descendant of Merlin and probably an ancestor of Professor Ambrose."  
  
"And this all means what exactly?" asked Ron, who was now on his third Chocolate Frog.  
  
"It means Ron. that while I don't normally credit Malfoy and Voldemort's rubbish about pureblood being better than people like me. she is probably the most powerful witch on the planet. She might even be more powerful than Professor Dumbledore or Voldemort."  
  
"Wow." Said Ron, slightly awed by this revelation. "And we've got for Defence Against the Dark Arts!"  
  
Well, this year will certainly be. interesting. Harry decided, settling back into his seat, with Jamie on one side and Ginny on the other. The group chatted for a while, but about two hours out of London, Harry felt a thud against his chest. He looked down and saw that Jamie had fallen asleep on him, her head tucked into the crock of his arm. Harry smiled down at her and brushed a lock of hair out of her face and shifted so that she'd be more comfortable. He glanced across at his friends and saw to his amusement that Ron had done almost the same thing with Hermione, unlike Harry she seemed slightly fazed by this, but seemed reluctant to wake him, so instead continued to read her book, A Practical Guide To Self-Transformation, and acted as if nothing unusual was happening. 


	8. Chapter 8: Attack on the Hogwart's Expre...

Chapter Eight: Attack on the Hogwarts Express.  
  
A/N: In this story, pupils generally wear the movie version of the school uniform.  
  
The peaceful tranquillity of the carriage was disturbed about half an hour later by a visit from four people that Harry would have gladly put off meeting for a while - the entire year perhaps. "Well, isn't this cute. the Weasel and the Mudblood are finally getting cosy. And I thought."  
  
"You thought what?" asked another sneering voice from behind the unwelcome quartet. "That his family could stoop no longer? Well you Slytherins would know about being low, that's all most of you ever are."  
  
Malfoy turned around and regarded Civis - who had shed his 'Charles Goodfellow' disguise as soon as he scented trouble and was now perched on the end of the seat near the window sill facing the corridor. "Who are you?"  
  
"Civis Bonsocus of the Hobgoblin clan Solstitius, warden of Gryphon's Eyrie and protector of the Potter family," replied Civis, the crocodile smile not leaving his face for an instant. "No need to ask who you are."  
  
"So you've heard of me then?" Malfoy asked, in a superior tone.  
  
"Not really," admitted Civis. "But let's see. smug superior expression, over-priced robes and a complete inability to know when you're not wanted. You must be a Malfoy."  
  
Malfoy looked extremely irritated at having his own line from five years before thrown back in his face, especially by someone who wasn't even human and went for his wand.  
  
"Uh-huh-uh," cautioned Civis, raising one finger so that it pointed up to towards the ceiling. "I don't think so." For a split second, lighting crackled at the end of his outstretched finger and his eyes sparked. Malfoy paled and fled, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott only a few lengths behind. "Well that wasn't so bad. I think I'm going to like him."  
  
"What do you mean. you're going to like Malfoy?!" said Ron, incredulously. He had woken up just as the four Slytherins fled the compartment.  
  
"He just has such a lovely expression on his face when you scare the pants off him." Civis sniggered. "I don't think he'll be bothering you for a while, Harry."  
  
"That, would be great," said Harry with a sigh. "I've got more than enough problems."  
  
The rest of the journey was uneventful, broken up only by first Ginny, then Ron and Hermione leaving the compartment to patrol the corridors. About an hour before they were due to arrive at Hogwarts, the seven students changed into the school robes, Jamie as a first year naturally wore the plain black robes and tie with the school crest on the breast pocket of her robes, rather than her friends more colourful red-and-gold or blue-and-bronze trimmed robes and house crest. "Don't worry, Jamie, you'll be Sorted soon enough." Harry assured her, after he spotted her eyeing his robes enviously.  
  
Jamie smiled and adjusted her black tie. "I know, Harry. And I hope I'm in Gryffindor." Then hastily added. "No offence, Luna." Luna, the only non- Gryffindor in the room, assured her that no offence was taken. Jamie turned back to Harry. "I just need to use the bathroom. I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
Harry nodded and sat back down. He was in the middle of a discussion with Hermione and Civis on what sort of spells they should use, when Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil, the sixth year Ravenclaw prefects, poked their heads into the compartment. Padma scanned the room and frowned, Harry seeing her expression, scented trouble. "What's up Padma?"  
  
"Isn't Jamie Clayton in here with you?" Harry was slightly puzzled why she wanted to know and asked. "Katie asked us to check where all the first years are so we an get them to Hagrid as quick as possible. She's not with the other first years and Susan Bones said she was in with you."  
  
"She was here until a few minutes ago," Harry confirmed. "Then she went to the bathroom, have you checked in there?" At Padma's nod, he began to get very worried. "I've got a bad feeling about this," he said. "We need to find her." Ginny nodded, looking rather apprehensive herself, and rose to stand beside Harry. "Anthony, go get Katie and Roger Davies and tell as many of the prefects as you can find that she's missing. Ron, head towards the back of the train, check the rest of the compartments and get as many trustworthy people together. That means the DA and the prefects, but not the Slytherins." he paused, and reconsidered. "If you find Blackfern and Redthorn alone, use them too."  
  
He looked around at all of those present, some old friends, some new, some only acquaintances through his leadership of Dumbledore's Army. "Hermione, see if you can find any of the other. According to the game plan there should be at least three on board. Take Padma with you. Neville, Luna, find the first years and stay on them. No one goes near them, unless they're in this room, until they're handed over to Hagrid. Got it?" Everyone present nodded in agreement, though he was only a student and five of those present where prefects, their membership of the DA the year before, meant that they trusted Harry to lead them right. "Ginny, Civis, you're with me."  
  
Silently, the group spilt up and headed in opposite directions, Neville and Luna initially followed Harry but eventually overtook him as he, Ginny and Civis began to search the storage closets and bathrooms along the way.  
  
After about five minutes, Harry found what he was looking for. On the way to meet up with Neville and Luna, he and Jamie had passed a small storage closet almost exactly in the middle of the train. Now it was nowhere to be seen. "Civis, did you memorise the layout the train like I asked you too?" When the goblin nodded, Harry flicked his wand into his right hand. "I am right in thinking that there should be a door here?" At the hobgoblin's nod, he reached into another pocket of his robes and pulled out the See- Through Spyglass that George had given him at the twin's shop. "Here?" Another nod. "I can't see what's on the other side. it's all blurred. There's definitely a Concealment Charm on this door."  
  
"What are you going to do?" asked Ginny.  
  
"I'm not sure." Harry admitted. "Not without knowing the specific spell used. There are a few that I can try. Aparecium!" The three of them weren't exactly surprised when this didn't work. "Alohomora! Dissendium! Cistem Aperio!" Nothing worked. Harry sighed. "Whatever it is, it's pretty strong. I think I'm going to have to try something a little more extreme."  
  
"What like?"  
  
"Like. Reducto!" This time the sealed door groaned, but still held. "Okay. now we're getting somewhere. Reducto!" The edges of the door flared but it stayed locked. "Ginny. Help me!" Ginny nodded and pulled out her own wand. "On three. One. two. three. REDUCTO!" The two Reductor Curses hit the door at the same time and it split down the middle. With a little muscle Harry managed to pull it open. Although deep down he'd been expecting something, and he'd been steeling himself, he wasn't prepared for the sight that confronted him.  
  
----  
  
Jamie was, perhaps fortunately, unconscious, however it was obvious to Harry that she had been attacked, her robes, tie and jumper had been torn off and the pieces lay scattered around the tiny space, blood was dripping from a cut on her forehead, and her right arm was hanging at an odd angle. Ginny gasped when she saw her. She moved to enter the room, but Harry grabbed hold of her, stopping her from entering. "This way's better." He pointed his wand at her. "Mobilicorpus."  
  
Jamie floated out of the cupboard and Harry quickly guided her into the compartment opposite, which mercifully was empty. Harry slipped off his robes and wrapped them around her and then picked up "Ennervate."  
  
After a moment Jamie stirred and sat up. "Harry, Ginny, what. what happened?" she asked puzzled, drawing Harry's robes more closely around herself.  
  
"What's the last thing you remember, Jamie?" asked Ginny gently.  
  
The younger girl frowned and thought for a moment before answering. "It's all blurred. I definitely remember changing into my robes, and then I left to go to the toilet. When I came out, someone. four people were waiting for me, and the rest. I can't put it together. They definitely attacked me, called me a Mudblood, but I don't remember anything else. Sorry."  
  
"That's okay, Jamie." Harry assured her, he turned to Civis. "Memory Charm?"  
  
"Possibly," Civis replied after a pause. "Although I think a Confundus Curse is more likely. Memory Charms are usually total. She won't remember anything at all."  
  
"What's a Mudblood? That prefect Malfoy called Hermione a Mudblood too didn't he? It sounded like an insult."  
  
"It is," Harry told her grimly. "It's about the worse insult you ever use, 'Mudblood' is a really nasty name for someone's who as Muggle parents - like you, Hermione or my mum. People like Malfoy think they're better than everyone else, because they're 'purebloods' that is they have all magic parents. Stupid idea, Crabbe and Goyle are both purebloods far as I know, and they don't have two brain cells to rub together. Neville's no genius either, although he's getting better."  
  
"And Hermione's one of the most gifted students Hogwarts has ever had," said Ginny, shaking her head in disbelief. "Anyway, most wizards - especially outside of Slytherin - are half-blood or less. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd've died out."  
  
"Yeah. Look at the Potters. Half of them married Muggles, or Muggleborns at least," added Civis, and then glanced out into the corridor. "Don't look now. Bell and Davies are in sight. Goldstein, Cho, and two Slytherin prefects - Redthorn and Blackfern, I guess - are with them."  
  
"Ginny, can you say with Jamie for two seconds? I need to talk to Katie." Ginny nodded and Harry headed out of the room. When Katie and the others arrived he beckoned them over. "Anthony told you Jamie Clayton's missing?" he asked.  
  
Katie nodded, then glanced at the ruined door. "Did you find her?"  
  
"Yes I did," Harry told her with a sigh. "She's been beaten up and her robes were taken off." Katie and Cho gasped with horror, the others frowned or scowled. "I want you to seal off this section of the carriage. No one comes in unless they've got an Inquisitor's badge or the Headmaster or myself escort them. Got it?"  
  
Katie and the three Ravenclaws nodded. The two Slytherin prefects were slightly puzzled as to why they were supposed to obey Harry, but seemed content to follow Katie and Roger's lead, so they agreed too. "Do you want us to put a Barrier Spell over this section so that no-one can see in?" Katie asked, pulling out her wand.  
  
Harry nodded. "Civis and I are going to Apparate to Hogwarts with her now. Can one of you contact Professor Dumbledore, so he knows we're coming?" Katie nodded and removed a small mirror from her robe pocket, it was very like the one Sirius had given him. Harry nodded, satisfied, and returned to Ginny and Jamie. "Ginny, can you go back to our compartment and tell the others what's happened? Don't go into the details, just tell them Jamie's been hurt and that we're taking her to Hogwarts." Ginny nodded and left. "Civis, can you take us directly to the Infirmary at Hogwarts?"  
  
"It will be. difficult. But I can."  
  
"Hang on, Jamie," said Harry, taking her into his arms. "We'll get you treated soon."  
  
With a 'crack', the three of them disappeared from the Hogwarts Express.  
  
----  
  
Civis was right when he said it would be difficult, instead of materializing inside the Infirmary, they reappeared in the Entrance Hall, two floors below their intended target. Professor McGonagall, who was already in position to greet the new students, was somewhat startled by their arrival.  
  
"Her name's Jamie Clayton, she was attacked on the train!" Harry told her. "Ask Albus to meet me in the Infirmary!"  
  
Professor McGonagall was just about to respond, when there was another 'crack' and they disappeared.  
  
The three of them appeared in the Infirmary a few seconds later, Civis ducked into the matron's office as Harry carried Jamie over to the nearest bed. Madam Pomfrey joined him a minute later. "What happened to her, Mr Potter?" Harry quickly explained and then went to the door to wait for the Headmaster to arrive.  
  
Professor Dumbledore arrived twenty minutes later, accompanied by two other men in the blue-and-silver robes of the Ministry Inquisitors, the investigative branch of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol, and a grey- haired woman in Healer's robes. "Harry, this is Lieutenant Griswald and Inquisitor Braun, they will be examining where Miss Clayton was found. Healer Tompkins will give her a through examination to see if we can determine anything from her." Dumbledore explained, and then indicated that the Healer should go into the Infirmary. The two Inquisitors nodded a greeting to Harry and then headed downstairs.  
  
"Are they with the Order?" Harry asked.  
  
"No," Dumbledore admitted regretfully. "There are a number of members of the Order in the Inquisitors, but unfortunately they are not available at the moment. However, Lieutenant Griswald is believed to be one of the most skilled and dedicated investigators that the Ministry has ever had, and he is widely known to be only interested in the truth. I believe he will tell us exactly what he finds."  
  
"How much do you know, Albus?"  
  
"Miss Bell's owl arrived about five minutes ago, do you know anything that she does not?"  
  
"Only a couple of things Jamie mentioned."  
  
"Go on."  
  
"She was attacked by four students, at least one of whom called her a Mudblood. She thinks she should recognise them, but they put either a Memory Charm or a Confundus Curse on her so she can't be sure." Harry paused, then carried on with a little more confidence "She's only met one group of four students with that kind of attitude: Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott. They came into our compartment a couple of hours before Jamie disappeared."  
  
"Yes. You may be correct, Harry. However, without strong evidence, all I can do is mention the possibility of their involvement to Severus, and as her statement was taken while she was still Confounded, the Board of Governors will never accept it, and neither will the Ministry."  
  
"Arrgh! This is stupid!" Harry exclaimed, and just about restrained himself from punching the wall. "I know he did it. But I can't prove it!"  
  
"Then find the proof, Harry." Dumbledore suggested gently. "Do nothing illegal in the process, but find supporters where they would be the most effective and make use of them." He turned to go. "The students will be arriving shortly, so I must return to the Hall."  
  
"Can I stay here?" Harry asked. "I don't want to leave Jamie on her own just yet."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "I shall return after the Feast is completed."  
  
"I'll see you then." Harry told him. He stood there for a moment or two, until Civis came out and told him that the Healer had completed her examination. Harry followed him inside and walked over to where Healer Tompkins was packing up her bag. "Did you find anything?"  
  
"Nothing unusual," Tompkins replied. "I'll owl the Headmaster my report by morning, but there is no sign of any injury or attack, other than those you already identified." Harry, knowing what she wasn't saying, sighed in relief. "She wants to see you."  
  
Tompkins left and Madame Pomfrey returned to her office, after telling him to get her if there were any change in Jamie's condition. Harry nodded and went over to Jamie's bed. Jamie, who was now dressed in a modest nightdress, smiled as Harry sat down in the chair beside her bed. "Thanks, Harry."  
  
"No problem." Harry assured her. "How are you? Are you hungry?"  
  
Jamie confessed she was. Civis conjured up an everlasting plate of sandwiches and a jug of pumpkin juice for them, and they picked one of each. "Tell me a story, Harry. Tell about one of your adventures."  
  
Harry smiled and began to tell her about how he, Ron and Hermione had foiled Voldemort's attempt to seize the Philosopher's Stone. He was just finishing the story when Dumbledore came into the Infirmary, carrying the Sorting Hat in one hand. "Hello, Miss Clayton, I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts."  
  
"Hello, sir."  
  
"Would you like to be Sorted now?"  
  
Jamie nodded and placed the battered old wizard's hat on her head. The Hat took a while to come to a decision and Harry waited, hardly daring to breathe. "Gryffindor!"  
  
"Congratulations, Miss Clayton, I will certainly you again."  
  
"Goodbye, Professor." said Harry and Jamie simultaneously. Harry glanced at his young friend and grinned.  
  
"Goodbye." The Headmaster left, taking the Hat with him. Harry stayed with Jamie and they talked for about an hour and then she drifted off, the Dreamless Sleep Potion given to her by Madam Pomfrey finally taking effect. Harry stayed by her side, keeping vigil until the day's events caught up with him and he drifted off. Civis grinned, and conjured up a blanket to cover him up, then disappeared.  
  
A/N: Please review. The next chapter will be up shortly. 


	9. Chapter 9: The Perils of Potions

Chapter Nine: The Perils of Potions  
  
Thanks to his need to wake early for his training during the summer, the sun was just beginning to rise when Harry began to stir. "Ugh," he groaned, sitting up in his chair, feeling rather stiff from sleeping the night through in a hard, wooden chair. He got up and leaned over Jamie to check she was okay, she was still sleeping, he kissed her on the forehead and tucked her covers in more firmly. "I'll be back soon." he whispered to her and left the Infirmary.  
  
Walking quickly but stealthily, he reached Gryffindor Tower without encountering Filch or any of the teachers. When he got to his room, he grabbed a fresh set of robes from his trunk and headed for the boy's shower room. As he expected, the tiled room was still empty, so he stripped down to his trousers and T-shirt and spent half-an-hour doing stretches and then practiced his punches, kicks and blocks. Once he'd worked up a good sweat, he undressed completely and stepped into one of the showers.  
  
Ten minutes later, now fully dressed in clean robes and with his wand strapped back into its usual place on his right wrist, he arrived in the Gryffindor common room. As it was now nearly seven o'clock, there were a few people about: Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Katie were sitting in chairs near the fire waiting for him, Civis was perched on the window sill nearest the boy's staircase so he could keep an eye on the entire room without being noticed. Harry sank down into one of the sofas between Ginny and Katie. Ginny was the first to speak. "How's Jamie, Harry? We would have come up, but Hermione didn't think Madam Pomfrey would let us in."  
  
Harry sighed, "She'll be fine. Apart from her broken arm, all she's got are cuts and bruises. Madame Pomfrey said last night she'd be fine to come to classes this morning. I'm going up to the Infirmary now to get her."  
  
"That's good," Ginny told him, the other three nodded in agreement. "Do we know who did it?"  
  
"Oh, we know alright," said Harry darkly. "But, as usual, we can't prove it."  
  
"Malfoy?"  
  
"Yes," Harry admitted. "With help from Crabbe, Goyle and Nott. But unless Lieutenant Griswald turns up something, we've no evidence." he turned to Katie. "Do you know if he did?"  
  
"No luck, apparently."  
  
"Typical." Harry got up and started, then paused. "Katie, you probably know McGonagall has reinstated me and made me team captain?" The older girl nodded. "I'm going to be pretty busy over the next couple of days, Professor Dumbledore said I could sniff around a bit, and there are a couple of other things that I need to attend to as well my classes. Can we meet at the DADA classroom at seven on Friday night? We need to discuss the team, all of you should come, I'd like to show you something too Hermione. Tell Kirke and Sloper if you see them."  
  
"Will do, Harry." Katie confirmed. "It's a date."  
  
"Figuratively speaking." Harry told her, glancing at Ginny when he said this.  
  
"Agreed." Harry opened the Fat Lady's portrait and stepped out, Civis transformed into his crow form and followed, flying through the portrait hole just as it was about to close.  
  
----  
  
Twenty minutes later, Harry and Jamie joined the others in the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry seated Jamie beside Neville, and then slipped in between her and Ginny, Civis hopped off Harry's shoulder and perched on a bracket on the wall behind him.  
  
"How are you, Jamie?" Hermione asked her, as she began to eat a bowl of porridge.  
  
"I'm fine, Hermione," Jamie assured her. "That Bone-Setting Potion is disgusting though."  
  
"Skele-Gro's worse," Harry told her.  
  
"I find that hard to believe."  
  
"Take my word for it."  
  
"Oh, I will."  
  
Ten minutes later, Professor McGonagall moved down the table handing out timetables. When Ron saw his own timetable, he grinned. "Not bad, Defence Against the Dark Arts this morning, and Care of Magical Creatures this afternoon. What about you guys? Nev?"  
  
"Same as you, Ron." Neville replied, then he noticed that Harry and Hermione were not as pleased as they were. "What's up?"  
  
"We've got Potions first thing," Harry explained. "Snape, on the first day back. What did I do to deserve that?"  
  
"You've got me, Harry." Ginny told him. "Mine's not too bad, Herbology and History of Magic this morning, then Muggle Studies this afternoon. What about you Jamie?"  
  
"Transfiguration, Charms, and History of Magic." Jamie told her. "What's the other note about, Harry?" she asked, noticing Harry folding up a second piece of parchment.  
  
"Just DA stuff," Harry told her. "Do you want me to show you where the Transfiguration classroom is? I've had enough breakfast."  
  
"If you've got enough time?"  
  
Harry nodded. "There's a useful passage from the first floor to almost right outside the Potions Dungeon." Harry told her. "Besides, the class doesn't start for another forty minutes."  
  
"Let's go then."  
  
"Gin, have a good morning. I'll see you at lunch?" Ginny nodded. "Ron, Nev, I'll see you in DADA, Hermione, I'll catch up with you as soon as I can."  
  
"Don't be late Harry," Hermione admonished him. "I don't want to brave Snape on my own."  
  
"I'll be on time 'Mione, don't worry." Harry told her. "Let's go Civis."  
  
The crow squawked indignantly, but left his perch and lighted on Harry's shoulder nonetheless.  
  
It took only fifteen minutes to deliver Jamie to the Transfiguration classroom on the first floor. After nodding a greeting to Mark - the only other student he recognised - and telling both of them the best way to get to the Charms classroom, Harry headed for the secret passage behind a tapestry depicting the alchemist Weygand the Wise, and headed downwards.  
  
When he came out of the other end of the passage, he could see Hermione waiting at the entrance to the Potions dungeon about ten feet away. She hadn't seen him though, she was busy talking to two Slytherins who had also arrived early. After a moment's thought, Harry identified the stringy- haired blond boy as Romulus Moon - the only other person Harry knew apart from himself, Luna, Neville and Hagrid who could see Threstrals - and the red-haired girl as Blaise Zabini. Harry didn't particularly dislike either of them; they were two of the less opinionated members of Slytherin House and among the handful of the senior Slytherins who had not joined Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad the year before. He crept up behind Hermione and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hi, Hermione."  
  
Hermione jumped and spun around. "Harry! You startled me!"  
  
Moon chuckled to himself and Zabini tried her best to hide a smile. Harry smiled down at his friend. "Sorry Hermione, I couldn't resist, I guess the twins've rubbed off on me. Forgive me?"  
  
"Of course, Harry."  
  
"What where you talking about?" Harry asked.  
  
"Granger was just telling us about some of the potions we might be doing this term. The Morphemic Potion sounds interesting."  
  
"What's that one?"  
  
"It's similar to the Polyjuice Potion. Except it only last five minutes instead of an hour."  
  
"What's the use of that?" Harry asked, perplexed. "Five minutes won't give enough time to do anything."  
  
"What do you know about the Polyjuice Potion, Potter?" asked Zabini, suspiciously.  
  
"I know what it does, how it's made." Harry told her. "I know of four people who've used it. Three successfully." he added, grinning slyly at Hermione.  
  
They continued chatting for a few minutes, until the rest of the class turned up: Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were the only other Gryffindors in the class, and were followed by Draco Malfoy, Terrence Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Karla Bundy, Janice Dorny and Tracey Davis of Slytherin.  
  
Professor Snape arrived a few minutes later and immediately opened the door. "Get in, get in," he told them impatiently. Harry and Hermione hurried inside and took the worktable that had been Harry and Ron's usual place for the last five years. Dean and Seamus took the one beside them, while Zabini and Moon opted for the one just in front.  
  
"Welcome to Advanced Potions. In this class you will be learning some of the most advanced and complex magic there is to be learned here at Hogwarts. Some of you. are here because you demonstrated the talent required during last year's exams." Here he looked at Malfoy, who grinned smugly. "While others. are here because certain members of the faculty felt the need to intercede on their behalf." Here he glared at Harry, giving him the special glare he still seemed to reserve for Harry and Professor Lupin. "Nonetheless, you are all here, so I must do the best I can with you. I am only glad that we are to be spared any further mishaps from the cauldron of Mr Longbottom, as the examiners clearly had enough sense to mark him as the fool he is."  
  
Reluctantly, despite the insult to his friend, Harry found himself in agreement with the greasy-haired professor. Potions, would be much easier - and safer - without Neville there. Glancing at his fellow Gryffindors, he could tell they were thinking along the same lines.  
  
"The first potion we will be making is called the Anpyrous Ointment. Does anyone now what that is used for?" Hermione naturally, raised her hand immediately, as did Malfoy and Zabini eventually. "Mr Potter, would you like to tell us?" Malfoy grinned, he could tell that Harry won't like to, as he couldn't remember what it was used for. "I'm waiting, Mr Potter."  
  
Harry, after a moment's thinking, remembered the potion from his summer reading. "It's used to protect the skin from burns, Professor."  
  
"Ahhh. So you actually studied during the summer after all, Potter. I am surprised." Snape said, with a sneer. Malfoy's grin became even wider. "The ingredients are on the board. Get going, you have one hour."  
  
Thanks to an occasional whispered suggestion from Hermione, Harry managed to complete the potion well within the time limit. Snape frowned at the sample Harry gave him, but reluctantly gave him full marks.  
  
When they arrived at the DADA classroom, Harry cast a complex unlocking charm on the door and opened it. "Let's go in."  
  
"Harry, should we really...?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Don't worry, it's okay. I'll explain when the others get here."  
  
Hermione nodded and followed Harry inside, taking a seat at the table closest to the front. Harry perched on the teacher's desk and waited.  
  
Dean and Seamus caught up with them a minute or two later, both seemed rather surprised to see Harry sitting on the teacher's desk but said nothing. Within five minutes, the other students began to trickle in, Harry was not surprised to see that though both Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were present, no-one that hadn't been in the DA the year before had made it into the class. He waited until everyone was seated. Ron sat down beside Hermione, and Neville sat down on his other side, leaving Harry's usual seat empty.  
  
"Hello, everyone. Welcome to Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts." Several people there were a little surprised when Harry spoke and looked up sharply. "Unfortunately, Professor Ambrose has some urgent business to attend to, so she cannot take this class today. Professor McGonagall has asked me to fill in. I don't think anyone here doesn't know why?" Several people, Ron included, chuckled at this. "Now, as I'm not sure exactly what we're supposed to be covering this year, I thought we'd just do a little bit of practice with our Shield Charms. Okay?"  
  
Everyone seemed to be in agreement on this, so they rapidly paired off. Of the Gryffindors, Ron and Hermione paired up, as did Dean and Seamus and Lavender and Parvati, leaving Neville on his own as before. Looking around the Ravenclaws, Harry saw that they had all paired up too. "Okay Nev, looks like you're working with me." Neville nodded, looking a little nervous. "Why don't you take the offensive? I want to practice my draw away."  
  
Neville pulled out his wand and nodded. Harry tensed his arm. "Rictusempra!"  
  
Harry's wand flicked into his hand and he yelled, "Protego!" He was a hair too slow though, and the Tickling Charm shattered the partially formed Shield, and knocked him backwards. Harry retained enough presence of mind to twist around so he could break his fall with his arms. Civis squawked a loud, harsh note and the charm dissolved. "Good job, Neville. You got me."  
  
"Sorry about that, Harry," Neville said. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine," Harry assured him. "I just need to react a little faster."  
  
They tried another two passes. On the third go, Harry managed to get up his Shield fast enough to block a Scintilla Spell. Then Harry suggested they take a break, while he went round to see how the others were doing. Neville nodded and moved to where he could watch Hermione and Ron raining Stunners and Reductor Curses against each other's Shields. Harry immediately spotted a problem and went over to where Lavender and the Patil twins were crouched over Anthony Goldstein. From the looks of things his Shield hadn't been strong enough to stop a Furnunculus Curse as his face was covered in boils. After a brief consultation with Civis, Harry identified the correct counter- charm and performed it. "I think you need to work on strengthening your Shield, Anthony."  
  
The Ravenclaw prefect nodded and glared at Padma. "She caught me unawares."  
  
"Will the Death Eaters tell you before they try and curse you?" Harry asked patiently.  
  
"No, I suppose not," admitted Goldstein.  
  
"Absolutely right." Harry confirmed. "As I have discovered from personal experience." He then turned to the others. "Keep it up. Nice work with those Death Eaters over the summer by the way, Parvati. They might think twice about a return visit."  
  
"I hope so," Parvati told him, and her twin seconded the statement.  
  
"And so you should." Harry told them. Harry continued the lesson for another half an hour, and then dismissed the class.  
  
Ron, Hermione and Neville hurried to Harry's side. "What's up, Harry?" asked Ron. "Where's Professor Ambrose?"  
  
"She's taking a look at that compartment on the train in case the Inquisitors missed anything. She should be finished by now." Harry told him. "Let's get some lunch. I want to see how Jamie's doing."  
  
"I'm sure she's fine," Hermione told him. "Don't worry."  
  
Five minutes later, the four sixth years joined Ginny, Jamie and Mark at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. "How were your first lessons, Jamie?"  
  
"Transfiguration and Charms were fine, History of Magic was boring though."  
  
"It always is." Harry assured her. "And with Binns teaching, it always will be."  
  
----  
  
When Jamie and Mark joined Harry and the older Gryffindors at the house table in the Great Hall a few days later, their faces showed a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "We had our first Potions class today." Jamie told them, once they'd sat down.  
  
Harry looked up from his lunch. "How was it?"  
  
"It was as bad as you said it would be." Mark told him.  
  
"Did he ask the questions?" Harry asked casually.  
  
Jamie grinned. "He did. And he took five points from Gryffindor for me getting them right."  
  
Harry laughed. "You can't win with him. I've been trying for five years."  
  
"What questions?" Hermione asked.  
  
"The one's he asked me in our first class," Harry told her. "I told Jamie the answers in case he asked her."  
  
"He did," said Jamie, with a grin.  
  
"That's not funny, Harry!" Hermione snapped. "I don't like Snape either, but he is one of the school professors and should be treated with respect."  
  
Harry said nothing, but glanced to his right at Ginny, to see if she thought the joke was funny.  
  
She did.  
  
A/N: Please review. 


	10. Chapter 10: Line Change

Chapter Ten: Line Change  
  
After Double Herbology on Friday afternoon, Harry and the other sixth years hurried to the Great Hall to get some dinner, he was about half way through his meal when Ginny joined him. "How was Defence Against the Dark Arts?" he asked her.  
  
"It was fine," Ginny told him, once she'd sat down beside him. "We haven't done anything too exciting yet, it's been mostly spells you taught us last year. We were doing the Reductor Curse today, I managed to blast through an eighteen-inch thick piece of wood, only Colin managed as good as that in my class - although Luna told me she did pretty well with it yesterday, she blasted through the twelve inch block - no-one else's managed more than the nine-inch block."  
  
"Good work, Gin," Harry told her. He felt a feeling of pride when she told him how well she was doing, Harry wondered if that was just because she was a friend, or because his lessons the year before were partly to do with it, or was there more to it than that? He remembered his conversation with Civis on his first full day at Gryphon's Eyrie and resolved to have a talk with Hermione or Sirius soon about it.  
  
They chatted comfortably with each other for another ten minutes, then paused when Jamie and Mark joined them - Civis, in the form of a small brown-and-white terrier trotted behind the two first years. Harry could tell that they'd been outside, as he'd had Herbology all afternoon, he knew they hadn't. "Bunked off did we?" he joked as they sat down and helped themselves to steak-and-kidney pudding.  
  
Jamie smiled at him, "Of course we did, Harry. After all, you helped us with our Transfiguration homework last night, and the only lessons I had this morning were Charms and History of Magic, neither Flitwick nor Binns assigned homework. So we didn't have anything to do. Civis suggested we go to the Library, but we changed his mind."  
  
"Good for you, Jamie," Harry told her with a grin. "Too much time in the Library at your age, can be bad for your health." A glare from Hermione told him she'd heard that comment. Ginny giggled and Neville smiled to himself. "By the way, I have to be somewhere tonight. I probably won't be back before curfew, so say close to Civis okay? I won't need him tonight, so I'd feel better if he was with you."  
  
"What I am going to do, Harry?" Jamie asked. "You were going to teach me how to play Wizards Chess."  
  
Harry thought for a moment, then glanced down the table, "Hey Nev, are you busy tonight?"  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"Could you go over Jamie's Herbology assignment? She's finished it, but she wants one of us to go over it to make sure its okay. I was going to do over the weekend, but you're better at Herbology than me anyway."  
  
"No problem, Harry. I'm always glad to help."  
  
"Good to hear Neville. Thanks."  
  
The look on Jamie face told Harry very clearly that she'd much rather be learning to play Wizards Chess. "Thanks a lot, Harry. Being lectured about plants by Neville all night, isn't exactly my idea of fun."  
  
"Well, at least you'll get your homework checked," Harry told her. "And Neville'll spot any mistakes. He only got three O's in his OWLs, and two of them were in Herbology."  
  
"What was the other one in?"  
  
"Practical Defence Against the Dark Arts."  
  
"Thanks to your Defence club?" suggested Mark.  
  
"Quite possibly," Harry admitted. "Although it was down to him in the end. He did well in the battle at the Department of Mysteries too, better than I thought he would to be honest. I've underestimated Neville a lot in the past. I try not to do that anymore."  
  
When he'd finished his desert, Harry rose from the table. "Neville, Jamie, Mark, I'll see you at breakfast. I'll see the rest of you at the DADA classroom at seven. Don't be late."  
  
"We won't be Harry," Ginny assured him.  
  
Harry nodded goodbye and headed for the door, stopping briefly to talk to Katie Bell, and the two Beaters, who both handed him a note, Harry opened the notes, then after reading the contents he chatted with them for a minute or two, then with a shrug, he left the Great Hall.  
  
----  
  
Hermione and Ron were the first to join Harry outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, arrived about five minutes early. They had clearly been to the Library, as Hermione was carrying several thick volumes that Harry had never seen before. From the names on the covers he guessed they were Arithmancy texts. Ginny arrived a minute later and Katie joined them just as the second hand on Harry's watch reached the hour. She had clearly been running, as she was a little out of breath. "Sorry I'm late Harry," she gasped. "Malfoy was terrorising a couple of second-year Hufflepuffs in the Entrance Hall. I didn't want to leave him until Jessie Blackfern had found Professor Snape."  
  
"I suppose Snape let him off?" said Harry, cynically.  
  
Katie shook her head, "Actually, he didn't."  
  
The other Gryffindors were surprised at this, so she elaborated. "At least, he let the ten points I took from Slytherin stand. He could have taken them back again. I'm surprised he didn't actually."  
  
"Ten points?!" exclaimed Ron. "Malfoy terrorises younger students and all Snape does it let a ten-point loss stand. If I'd tried that, McGonagall would've had my badge faster than you can say 'Chudley Cannons'."  
  
Harry nodded agreement and walked a few steps down the corridor to a small mahogany-panelled door. He whispered a password under his breath and the door opened. Once the others had caught up he ushered them inside. The room, which was small and decorated in mahogany and Gryffindor red-and- gold, was clearly an office, and as it was in part decorated with items from the DA class the year before, clearly the office of someone working in Defence Against the Dark Arts.  
  
"Who does this office belong to?" asked Hermione as Harry indicated that they should be seated. Hermione and Ron sat down on a small couch on the left wall while Ginny and Katie took two of the four chairs in front of the carved mahogany desk. Harry himself sat down in the padded red-leather chair behind the desk. "It's not Professor Ambrose's. Hers is attached to the Defence classroom."  
  
"I'll tell you who this office belongs to 'Mione." Harry told her, smiling slightly.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Me."  
  
"It's yours?" Hermione said, sounding a little puzzled.  
  
"Yep," Harry confirmed.  
  
"Wh-why do you have an office?"  
  
"A couple of reasons," Harry admitted. "When I talked to Albus at St Mungo's, he suggested that after last year, it might be a good idea to have a student voice on the faculty. And, as Professor Ambrose said she could do with some help this year, he decided to make my position as head of the DA, a staff one. So like all members of staff, I get my own office. I'm also going to be part of what he calls the 'Defence Council'."  
  
"What's that?" asked Ron.  
  
"It's a select group of staff members that will meet regularly to discuss security issues in and around the castle. The idea is to keep the knowledge of any changes to the castle's defences on a need-to-know basis. And as I probably know the castle better than anyone except Albus and maybe Filch, I'm going to be on the 'Council'."  
  
"Who else is in this 'Defence Council'?" asked Ginny.  
  
"Albus, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, Flitwick, Ambrose and Dr Chrystan. Jonas Johnson is going to come up at some point over the next couple of days and he'll be co-ordinate things for us."  
  
"Why Dr Chrystan?"  
  
"I'm not sure, Ginny," Harry admitted. "But I think he might more than he seems."  
  
"In what way?"  
  
"I think he might actually be Aduro Deunatus in disguise."  
  
"Aduro? Why?"  
  
"Well, between what Albus tells me, and a couple of talks I've had with Sirius, Remus and Tonks, I've a pretty good idea what the members of the Order I know about are doing. And Aduro hasn't been mentioned once. So, either he's not doing anything at all, which I'd say is extremely unlikely to impossible, or he is working somewhere in disguise. And with his powers, it'd have to be a non-combat role."  
  
"Still, they don't exactly look very similar do they, Harry." Hermione pointed out.  
  
"Who's Aduro Deunatus?" Katie asked. "And what do you mean by powers?"  
  
"Aduro Deunatus is." Harry struggled for the right word. "A god, I guess. At least he's been called that. He was the one that brought my godfather back from behind veil in July. As for his powers. Ginny knows more about that than I do. Although I suspect he could change his appearance if he wanted to."  
  
"Aduro has vast power." Ginny told them. "The only book I could find that mentions him and his brothers and sisters didn't go into much detail. But, from what I can tell. he's nearly invulnerable to most forms of attack, including magic; at least as strong as the average giant; can fly unaided, even though he doesn't have wings; can Apparate anywhere he wants to - with passengers - including into supposedly impregnable places like Hogwarts; and he throw fire hot enough to burn most dragons. He may also have other powers, including illusion-casting, that the author of the book didn't know about."  
  
"That's powerful."  
  
"Yes, it is," Harry confirmed. "And he's promised to help us against Voldemort." Kate, Ron and Ginny stiffened at the name, but said nothing. "Hermione."  
  
"Yes, Harry."  
  
"There are a couple of books in my collection you might want to have a look through. The copy of the Liber de Umbra that Draper got for me from a contact in San Francisco has some interesting stuff on the witch burnings and several chapters on demonology."  
  
"That sounds interesting," said Hermione, standing up and moving to the bookcase.  
  
"Third shelf down, it's about fourth or fifth in from the left." Harry told her, as she disappeared behind him.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Harry turned to the others, "The main reason I called you all here - other than to let you know where I'll be in my free time, if I'm not in the Library or Gryffindor Tower - was to discuss the Quidditch team." Katie and the two Weasleys nodded, to show they were listening. "Now, Kirke and Sloper handed me provisional resignations just as I was leaving dinner."  
  
"What's the provision?" asked Katie.  
  
"They'll stay on if we can't find replacements that are as good or better," Harry replied. "They don't want to leave us without Beaters, but they don't want to play if we can do better."  
  
"Can we though?" asked Ron. "We tried pretty hard to find Beaters last year, and they were the best we could get." Katie nodded in agreement.  
  
"Ginny, Jamie and I met up with a couple of second years who want to play - in Quality Quidditch Supplies - when we went to Diagon Alley." Harry told them.  
  
"Who?" asked Katie.  
  
"I'm guessing David and Shaw?" suggested Ron.  
  
Harry nodded. "They're perfect. Both of them are six foot, if they're an inch and they're only second years; they probably weigh over two-hundred pounds each; and according to everyone I've talk to their reflexes are faster than mine." he paused, then added with a grin. "Plus, they were buying Thunderbursts."  
  
"Wow," said Ron. "Those are supposed to be better than the Firebolt."  
  
"In a way, they are," Harry conceded. "They're slightly slower and a bit less manoeuvrable, but they're rock solid, very stable, and can take a direct hit from a Bludger at close range. They won't be much use to a Chaser or a Seeker, they need speed and agility, but according to Mr Quernith at Quality Quidditch Supplies, a lot of the top Beaters have bought them, and a quite a few Keepers too, including Megan McCormack and Barry Ryan."  
  
"So we've got to get new Beaters, probably Connor and Shaw, and two more Chasers, anything else?" asked Katie.  
  
"I'd like to find at least three new Chasers, and a spare Keeper, if possible. With all that's going on I'd like to make sure we don't get in the situation with the team that we got into last year. I want to win the Cup comfortably, not by the skin of our teeth like we managed before."  
  
"That'd be good," said Ron.  
  
"If Ginny's going to try out for Chaser, do you want another reserve Seeker?" Katie asked.  
  
"I'm not going to dismiss the idea," Harry told her. "But if it's okay with Ginny, I'd rather she kept the job and the reserve Chaser takes her place if I can't play. At least for this year."  
  
"That's fine with me, Harry." Ginny assured him. "Assuming that I can get a Chaser spot."  
  
"You'll do fine, Ginny," Ron told her. "You were great over the summer."  
  
"I just wish I had a better broom. The Cleansweep Six Wood left behind that I've been using isn't up to much. I was lucky last year that Cho and Summersby had fairly old brooms too, or I'd've been in trouble. A lot of people trying out for the Chaser will have newer brooms. I couldn't possibly beat a Firebolt or Nimbus Two-Thousand-And-One. Merlin's beard, I couldn't beat a Nimbus Two-Thousand or Comet Two-Ninety."  
  
"Don't worry, Ginny. It'll all work out."  
  
"When do you want to do the tryouts?" said Ron. "I reckon we should get started as soon as we can."  
  
"I thought we could do them tomorrow?" Harry suggested. "I'd've done them tonight, but this is the first free night we've all had, and I wanted to talk to you guys first."  
  
"Excellent," said Ron. "What time do you want us down there?"  
  
"I've got the pitch booked for ten o'clock," Harry told them. "I gave Neville a notice to put up in the common room when I came down to dinner. He should've put it up by now."  
  
They chatted about Quidditch for a while longer, then Katie said goodnight and headed back to the Tower. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione stayed in Harry's office until almost ten o'clock, then they walked back to Gryffindor Tower together. When they reached the Tower, Hermione gave the password ("Abyssinian Shrivelfig") and lead the way into the common room. Harry glanced over at the noticeboard to see if the Quidditch notice had gone up. When he turned back he could have sworn that Ron and Hermione were parting from a good night kiss, as both of them were blushing. "'Night Harry, Ginny."  
  
"Good night, Hermione."  
  
"'Night 'Mione."  
  
Hermione headed up the girls' staircase to bed, and Ron followed her example a few minutes later. Harry and Ginny stayed in the common room for about another half-hour, enjoying each other's company, and then headed up to their dormitories to bed.  
  
----  
  
Harry was just sitting down to breakfast the next morning when several owls dropped a long, thin parcel and a note on the table in front of him. Ginny - who was the only one of his friends at the table at the time - looked at Harry, the package and then back to Harry again. "Are you expecting any mail?"  
  
"No, I'm not," Harry told her, pulling the package towards him and opening the note:  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
I have recently experienced a reversal of my poor financial situation thanks to investing in the Firebolt Broom Company. I have been informed by some associates of mine, that you undertook to cover my debts to Messrs Fred and George Weasley, I am greatly appreciative of this, and hope this racing broom prototype - the successor to the Firebolt - will cover the expense.  
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Ludovic Bagman Department of Magical Games and Sports  
  
"It's from Bagman," Harry told her. "Apparently, he's got out debt and he's sent me a broomstick to cover the money I gave to the twins."  
  
"What sort of broomstick?" Ginny asked. "You've already got a Firebolt."  
  
"He says it's a new prototype, made as a replacement for the Firebolt."  
  
"That'll be interesting to see, the Firebolt's still streaks ahead of anything else on the market."  
  
"I'm going to have Civis take a look at it. I've had problems with brooms before."  
  
"Good idea," agreed Ginny. "Let's open it first though."  
  
Harry nodded and began tear off the wrapping paper. After a few seconds, Ginny leaned over and began to help, the broom which rolled free a minute later, was a deep inky black, with similar - though sharper - lines to the Firebolt, and a similar, smooth, birch-twig tail. Harry could feel the power emanating from it as it struggled to take to the air. The name - which was written in glittering, metallic green - was Lightstrike.  
  
When Neville, Jamie, Mark, and Civis the terrier, arrived at the table a few minutes later, Harry left the first years in Ginny and Neville's care and signalling for Civis to follow, he left the Great Hall.  
  
Once they were out of sight of the castle, Harry turned to his companion. "You can transform now."  
  
Civis barked and transformed, returning to the grey-skinned, pointy-eared form that was his natural appearance. "What's up, Harry?"  
  
"I got this by owl-mail from Ludo Bagman this morning," said Harry, handing him the broomstick. "Can you give this a thorough check?"  
  
"No problem," said Civis, taking the proffered broom. He examined it for a moment. "Ummm... Nice, very nice, rowan with a layer of black diamonds, a couple of nice improvements to the flying charms... What's this? Godric's sword! It's got an Menslego Charm on it!"  
  
"Is that bad?"  
  
"No. Quite the contrary, with a little practice that charm will allow you control the broom with your thoughts."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Indeed," agreed Civis. "Well, it's clean."  
  
"You know it's clean already?" Harry said, surprised. "It took Hooch and Flitwick weeks to clear my Firebolt."  
  
"I've been around broomsticks since Grimstone and Madam Boothby first started making them, I know them inside out."  
  
"That's good enough for me," said Harry. "Let's head back to the Tower and get my things."  
  
When Harry and Civis arrived at the Quidditch pitch, Harry clad in his scarlet team robes and carrying his two broomsticks, most of the people he was expecting had arrived: Katie, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Jamie, Mark, Andrew Kirke, Paul Sloper, Connor David, Henry Shaw, both Creeveys (though only Dennis carried a broom), and two others Harry didn't immediately recognise. Katie, Ron and Ginny wore their full Quidditch uniforms, but Kirke and Sloper wore only the gloves and pads over ordinary clothing.  
  
Harry pulled Ginny away from the others to the shelter of one of the stands. "Will this help your problem, Ginny?" Harry said, handing her his Firebolt.  
  
Ginny stared at him, "You want me to take your Firebolt!"  
  
Harry nodded, "If this Lightstrike's as good as I think it is, I certainly won't need it. I'm sure Sirius would prefer one of my dearest friends to get some use and pleasure out of it than for it to gather dust somewhere."  
  
"Thanks, Harry," said Ginny, accepting the shiny broomstick.  
  
"Hide the Cleansweep under this stand. I'll lock it up in the Gryffindor changing room after we've finished the trials."  
  
"Okay," said Ginny, doing what he suggested and then slipping back onto the field. Harry watched her for a moment then walked out onto the field himself. Glancing around he could see that Katie had got the trunk of balls out of Madam Hooch's office. The last four contenders had arrived, including second-year Euan Abercrombie. "Hello, everyone. For those of you who don't know, my name is Harry Potter, and I am the Captain and Seeker for Gryffindor." he said. "We have a vacancy for at least two Chasers, two Beaters, and reserve Keeper. We will not be taking on any new Seekers, as we already have a reserve."  
  
At this Dennis Creevey shrugged and joined his brother on the sidelines. "As we have several positions to fill, I'm going to split you up. Keepers, go with our Chaser, Katie Bell to the hoops at the far end." Harry took the Quaffle out of the box and threw it to Katie. Ginny, Abercrombie, Emma Dobbs and two others took to the air and followed Katie. "Chasers, go with our Keeper, Ron Weasley to the other goal." Natalie McDonald and a tall, well-build, black boy Harry reckoned must be a fourth or fifth year, followed Ron, who already carried one of the spare Quaffles. The only players left were the four Beaters. "I'm going to release one of the Bludgers and let you four play with it for a while, whoever impresses me the most gets the spots. Try not to hurt each other too badly."  
  
He could have sworn he saw David and Shaw exchange looks at that comment. Harry through a bat to each of them and waited until they were in the air, then bent down and released one of the Bludgers. "Away you go!"  
  
An hour later, Harry had his new team: Katie, Ginny, fourth year Wilhelm Whisp, and fifth year Sharon Skelton as Chasers; Connor David and Henry Shaw as Beaters; Ron and third year Harvey Johnson as Keepers; and himself and Ginny as Seekers.  
  
"Okay everyone, we're ready." Harry told the other eight players. "The first official practice will be on Tuesday night."  
  
Soon the stadium was clear except for Harry and his friends. Harry mounted his new broomstick and took to the air. For five minutes, he criss-crossed the stadium and looped and manoeuvred through every move he could think of and then landed, grinning widely. "It's brilliant." he told them, he handed the broom to Neville and then headed up to castle, arm-in-arm with Ginny and Jamie, with the others following closely behind them.  
  
A/N: Please review. 


	11. Chapter 11: Professor Ambrose

Chapter Eleven: Professor Ambrose  
  
"Are you looking forward to DADA today, Harry?" Ron asked at breakfast on Monday.  
  
Harry nodded, "Professor Ambrose will be taking the class today, so we'll be getting on with new stuff."  
  
"We've got to go Harry," Hermione told him, getting up and gathering her bag and books. "Potions starts in ten minutes."  
  
Harry got up and moved to follow her, "Ron, Neville, we'll see you in DADA. Ginny, Jamie, Mark, we'll see you at lunch."  
  
After a particularly exhausting Double Potions lesson - they had started the two-week process of brewing a complex potion called Verboloserum, a close cousin of Veritaserum - Harry, Hermione, Seamus and Dean hurried up to the third floor to Defence Against the Darks Arts. Ron and the other Gryffindor sixth years were already waiting, the four Ravenclaws joined them a few moments later.  
  
Professor Ambrose opened the door and ushered them inside. She waited until they were all seated then moved back and then walked over to her desk and should beside it. "Good morning class, my name is Meredith Ambrose, I will be your Defence teacher for the foreseeable future." She gestured toward the desk and a roll of parchment flew to her hand. "Let's see who we've got..." she said, running her eyes down the list. "Terry Boot, Lavender Brown, Seamus Finnigan..."  
  
She continued for a few minutes until she reached the end of the list, "... Harry Potter, Dean Thomas and Ron Weasley. Twelve of you, excellent, that's more than any of my other NEWT classes." she told them. "Shall we get started?" Without waiting for an answer, continued. "This year, you will begin your study of Dark Magic, and the ways you can protect yourself against it."  
  
She paused and regarded the class. "Voldemort and his Death Eaters like to use their enemies against themselves. Fear, pain, confusion, paranoia, these are their true weapons, and it will be my job this year to teach you to fight against them.  
  
"Our first lesson will be counter-attacking while in pain."  
  
"You're not going to use the Cruciatus Curse on us, are you?" asked Neville, hesitantly.  
  
"No, Mr Longbottom. We're going to be using the Dolorus Curse. The pain involved can be similar, depending on how powerful the caster is, but there is no physical damage to the victim."  
  
Neville sighed in relief.  
  
"Can I have a volunteer?" she asked. After a minute or two, Harry sighed and stood up, moving to the front of the class. Civis squawked and flew off Harry's shoulder, landing on his chair next between Neville and Hermione. "Once I cast the curse, you can counter it with whatever spell you want. Understood?"  
  
"Understood," Harry told her, drawing his wand.  
  
"Crus Dolorus!" she shouted, pointing at Harry's left leg. A green bolt of energy knifed out and hit the leg.  
  
Harry cried out and fell to his knees. He fought with the pain for a minute or two, then raised his wand. "Stupefy!"  
  
The red wave of energy burst from his wand and headed for the DADA teacher. For a split second, it looked like it was going to hit her, but she cancelled the curse on Harry and casually conjured a Shield to block it. "Well done, Mr Potter," she said, then she turned to the rest of the class. "As you can see, any charm that disables the caster can be used. But for practice purposes, it would be best to use the correct counter-charm, 'Dolorus Interfectus'. When you cast the curse, the pain can be targeted across the whole body, 'Corpus Dolorus'. or a specific body part - the arm, 'Bracchium Dolorus'; 'Crus Dolorus', the leg; or 'Caput Dolorus', the head - are the most effective." she told them. "Now pair off and practice."  
  
The class paired up as usual and got started. By the time the class was dismissed, they were nursing lingering aches on every part of their body.  
  
The group headed for the ground floor, when they entered the Great Hall, Padma, Goldstein and Terry Boot split off to join the other Ravenclaws, while Harry lead the way to the Gryffindor table. They sat down and they were joined by Ginny a few minutes later, and the two first years a little bit after that.  
  
"Does anyone what we're doing with Hagrid this afternoon?" Neville wanted to know.  
  
"Hagrid received a shipment of Wyverns this morning," Harry told him. Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny all looked a little nervous at that revelation. "But, I think they're for the seventh years. I did hear that he had another delivery a couple of days ago, I'm not sure what of though."  
  
"Hopefully something a little less ferocious," said Hermione with feeling. The others nodded.  
  
"We'll find out soon enough," said Harry.  
  
----  
  
Hermione's hopes were to be fulfilled, for today at least, when the Gryffindors arrived at Hagrid's hut they found Hagrid unloading ten Clabberts, relatively benevolent tree dwellers that looked like a cross between a monkey and a frog.  
  
When the Slytherins arrived, Hagrid began his lecture. "These beasts are Clabberts, some American wizards used ter use 'em fer guardians 'til the International Confederation banned 'em from doin' it. The pustules on their heads flash scarlet if they sense danger."  
  
Hagrid didn't have much to say after this initial introduction, so they spent the rest of the lesson feeding the creatures the small birds and lizards that were their preferred food.  
  
After the lesson, Hagrid followed the students up to the castle. "How have yeh bin, Harry?" he asked after a minute or two. " I haven' had much of a chance t' talk t' yeh since yeh left fer yer holidays."  
  
"I'm fine, Hagrid," Harry assured his large friend, the first one he'd made in the wizarding world. "Sirius is back, I'm free of the Dursleys, and thanks to Jason and his friends, I feel a bit better about this whole Prophecy thing."  
  
"Yeah, Dumbledore told us 'bout tha' Prophecy a few days after yeh left t' go home. Tha's some task yeh've got yerself, Harry. But not much different than what yeh've bin doin' since yeh firs' got here, eh?"  
  
"That's about what I figured," Harry told him. "It's always been me and Voldemort before, so I expected it would be at the end too. It's just a bit sad to know that my parents died because of that prophecy, and Sirius spent twelve years in Azkaban."  
  
"Yeah, too bad 'bout tha', but yeh've jus' gotta carry on I suppose."  
  
"Yeah, and I'm doing that," Harry told him. "I'll deal with Voldemort as best I can when the time comes, but I want a normal life too."  
  
"Speakin' a havin' a normal life, how's the Quidditch team goin'? Perfesser McGonagall told me she made yeh Capt'n."  
  
"Yes, she did. We had tryouts on Saturday and got a decent line-up together. Wilhelm Whisp and Ginny are going to be the new Chasers, a couple of second years - Connor David and Henry Shaw - have replaced last year's Beaters and we've also got a couple of reserve Chasers and a reserve Keeper."  
  
"What do yeh reckon yer chances fer the Cup are?"  
  
"Even to in our favour, I'd say," Harry told him after a pause. "Ron's got over his stage fright, Connor and Henry are much better than Kirke and Sloper. Hell, given a little time they'll be better than the twins."  
  
"How 'bout Ginny an' tha' Whisp kid? How're they making out?"  
  
Harry frowned. "Fifty-fifty," he admitted. "Skill wise they're almost as good as Angelina and Alicia..."  
  
"But?"  
  
Harry sighed, "Their teamwork needs sharpening."  
  
"Well, tha's what yeh'll have ter focus then."  
  
"I know. We have been." Harry told him. "We've got six weeks until the game against Slytherin. I aim to be ready."  
  
"Yeh will be, Harry," Hagrid told him. "Yeh will be."  
  
----  
  
"Can you meet me outside my office after dinner?" Harry asked Ginny, after his Double Transfiguration class on Wednesday afternoon. "And tell Luna to join us if she can make it?"  
  
"Sure, Harry," said Ginny. "Who else is going to be there?"  
  
"Ron, Hermione, Neville and me."  
  
"Is it about the DA then?"  
  
"Yeah, I want to run a list of people who I'd like in the club past the four of you. I know I'm officially in charge, but you've got as much stake in this as I do."  
  
"We'll be there, Harry," Ginny assured her, then stood up and headed outside. As Harry had a free period and Civis was watching the two first years, he got up too and walked her down to Greenhouse Five where her Herbology lesson with Ravenclaw House would be held, Harry nodded a greeting to the other two familiar faces in the class when they arrived - Luna and Colin - and waited outside until the class began.  
  
Just as the door to the greenhouse closed behind Professor Sprout, Fawkes appeared in a puff of feathers, a note clutched in his beck. Harry opened it and read the short missive:  
  
Harry, Jonas and Stewart have finishing setting up the War Room in the Room of Requirement. Please meet me in there immediately so we can have our first discussion about castle security.  
  
Albus Dumbledore.  
  
Harry turned to Fawkes, "Tell Albus, I'm on my way."  
  
The phoenix trilled a single soft note in reply and disappeared.  
  
As the Room of Requirement was on the seventh floor, it took Harry a while to get there. When his hand touched the handle, a voice spoke from within. "Name and position?"  
  
"Harry James Potter, sixth year, Gryffindor House. Defence Assistant and Gryffindor Captain of Quidditch."  
  
"You may enter."  
  
The room was very different to when Harry last saw it. The room was dimly lit, the centrepiece of the room was a round, oak meeting table with silver inlays, surrounded by nine chairs, also made of oak and silver. Floating above the table was a large, scale model of Hogwarts constructed of shimmering silvery-blue energy. Hundreds of tiny symbols, each with their own label, were dotted around the castle. Peering at a few of them, Harry noted that they were divided into two groups: shield-like glyphs, with house crests representing students, and the school crest for the teachers (Harry's symbol flitted between the Gryffindor one and the school crest); and simplified silhouettes for the beasts.  
  
Harry could see that most of the Council - Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Dr Chrystan, and Jonas Johnson - were already there and were seated around the table. Stewart Kylan, a member of the Order who had set up the holo- map, excused himself as Harry sat down between Professor McGonagall and Dr Chrystan. Flitwick and Professor Ambrose arrived a moment later.  
  
As soon as they were seated, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet and surveyed the seven of them. "Greetings, I have called you here today for a meeting because as you can see, Phase One of my plan to protect Hogwarts is complete and I thought that the Council should be aware of this."  
  
"What's Potter doing here?" Snape said with a sneer. "What does he know about protecting the school?"  
  
Before Harry could say anything, Dumbledore replied. "He is here, because I asked him to be here Severus. Over the past five years, Harry and his friends have done more to ensure the safety of this school than anyone in this room or anywhere else in this castle. Furthermore, the result of keeping Harry out of the loop was nearly fatal.  
  
"Unfortunately, Pomona cannot be here in person, however we have a solution. Jonas, if you would?"  
  
"Certainly, Professor. One moment." said Jonas. «This is Jonas Johnson, establishing telepathic link. I'm on-line and in your head.»  
  
"Excellent. Thank you." Dumbledore told him. «Pomona, can you hear me?»  
  
«Loud and clear, Professor.»  
  
«This link can be used by anyone here, at any time to contact the other members of the Council.» Dumbledore told them. «Is there any other business?»  
  
«Yes, Albus.» said Harry. «What are we going to do about the attack on Jamie Clayton? Civis' been keeping an eye on her at my request and she's had nightmares six times in the past two and a half weeks, he's getting a little tired of casting Silencing Charms and Sopuro Spells, so she and other kids in her dorm can get some sleep!»  
  
«Mind your manners, Potter,» snapped Snape. «You have no business talking to the Headmaster like that!»  
  
«If you weren't so narrow-minded about the Slytherins, she'd be sleeping fine because she'd know that the people who did it had been punished!» Harry told Snape angrily. «But you just let Malfoy get away with it, like you always do.»  
  
At this point Snape looked angry enough to pull out his wand and curse Harry. Dumbledore held up his hand for silence. «If I might interject?» Neither Harry nor Snape objected. «Harry, you are correct that something must be done for Miss Clayton. However, on this occasion, as I told you before, Severus was right not to act. There is not enough reliable evidence to support a charge against Mr Malfoy at the moment and unless more evidence comes to light, there is nothing we can do from that angle. However, I agree that Miss Clayton disturbed nights cannot continue, and so I will ask Madame Pomfrey to prepare a flask of Dreamless Sleep Potion, which should alleviate matters. I trust yourself, Mister Bonsocus, or Miss Granger have the necessary knowledge to ensure the correct dosage is taken?»  
  
«Yes, Albus. We do.» Snape snorted in derision at this assertion. Harry chose not to respond. «Can I go and get the Potion from Madame Pomfrey before curfew to-night?»  
  
«I will tell Madame Pomfrey to expect you, however, there has apparently been quite a... demand for such potions recently, and I believe she is running quite short. Severus, I believe you are currently brewing some more?»  
  
«Yes, I am, Headmaster,» Snape admitted reluctantly. «Unfortunately, I have been rather busy and it will not be ready for another three days.»  
  
«If there is nothing further?» asked Dumbledore. «Then you are dismissed.»  
  
"Active telepathic link terminated," reported Johnson. "If you need to reach me, think hard at me with your mind and that will activate the link."  
  
The others nodded to show they understood and filed out, Dumbledore held Harry back. "I would like a word, Harry."  
  
"Certainly, Albus," Harry told him.  
  
When all the others - apart from Jonas Johnson - had left, Dumbledore spoke up again. "How are you coming with the DA, Harry?"  
  
"We haven't had any meetings yet. I'm going to discuss the situation with some of the others this evening, and then we'll schedule the first meeting. I'll let you know when that'll be."  
  
"Do you have any new members?"  
  
"A number of people have expressed an interest," Harry admitted. "I'd say we'll probably have about forty."  
  
"Any Slytherins?"  
  
"Six," Harry told him. "Romulus Moon, Blaise Zabini, Jessie Blackfern, Morgan Redthorn, Claude Guile, and Lorna Greensboro."  
  
"I see... are there no others you would trust?"  
  
"Not below third year," Harry said, decisively. "Malfoy's got to much influence. He may not be responsible for the attacks on Jamie but he's definitely a security risk, his family's too close to Voldemort.  
  
"Very well," said Dumbledore. "We'll talk again soon."  
  
"Of course, Albus." said Harry, and left.  
  
It was only about two o'clock, so Harry decided to return to his office and do a little reading from his private collection. On his way back to his office he passed a window overlooking the Quidditch pitch. There was some activity there and although he couldn't see the flyers clearly he was fairly sure they were the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Deciding that it would do any harm to scout out the competition, he perched on the broad windowsill and - after fishing his Spyglass out of his bag - he began to watch them,  
  
After about half-an-hour, he decided that he'd learned enough, stood up, and walked away briskly. A few minutes later, he arrived at his office. He unlocked the door and went in. After checking to make sure that none of the dark detectors had sensed anything unusual - which they hadn't - he removed a couple of books from his bookshelf and sat down behind his desk. He cracked open one of them, the Aeternitae Liberae, and began to read.  
  
He became so engrossed in the book, that he didn't hear the bell ring for end of classes. He was startled when Civis flew into his room through the open window and transformed. "Civis, what you doing here?"  
  
"Looking for you," the hobgoblin replied sarcastically. "Dinner started ten minutes ago."  
  
Harry started, and then glanced down at his watch. It read ten-past-five. "So it did! I guess time really does fly when your having fun." He returned the books to their proper places and headed for the door. "You coming?"  
  
Civis growled a word that Harry was fairly sure that Hermione and Mrs Weasley would not approve of and transformed back into his crow shape. He flew over to Harry and landed on his shoulder. To further show his opinion, he nipped Harry's ear hard, though not hard enough to draw blood. "Ouch! That hurt!"  
  
The crow looked at Harry, and he could almost hear him thinking. That was the idea, Harry.  
  
Harry picked up his bag and headed out the door, which locked itself automatically.  
  
----  
  
The meeting that evening went smoothly, with all but Ron agreeing completely with Harry's proposed membership list (Ron initially objected to the inclusion of any Slytherins at all, but eventually agreed that the six suggested could probably be trusted and that they would be useful), and Harry sent out a notice to all previous and potential members using the Protean-Charmed Galleons and the school owls, asking them to be at the disused Defence Against Dark Arts classroom on the second floor at eight o'clock on Friday.  
  
On Harry's orders, Civis and several of the house-elves - including Dobby and Winky - spent most of the next two days refurbishing the room, which connected to Harry's office via a short concealed staircase. Although the room was larger than the normal DADA classroom on the floor below, and therefore more suited to Harry's needs, it had not been used for quite some time and so it was a rather in need of a clean. Nonetheless, the hobgoblin and his four willing helpers made quick work of the mess and it was ready for use when Harry, Ginny and Neville arrived half-an-hour before the agreed start time of the meeting to check it. Under Civis' supervision, the elves had removed the old desks and replaced them with a circle of more comfortable chairs arranged in such a way as to leave a thirty-foot square of space in the idle of the room. This would be the practice area.  
  
Harry sat down in a comfortable red velvet armchair at the point of the circle that was nearest the blackboard, Ginny took the chair nearest him, while Neville staked out one of the small sofas nearby. Once he was satisfied that their services were no longer required, Civis dismissed the house-elves, then rather receiving a nod for Harry, left the room himself, intending to return to Jamie's side. As if Civis' departure was a catalyst, the other members of the club began to trickle in a few minutes later, Ron and Hermione were first to arrive, sitting down cosily together on the sofa on Harry's right hand, closely followed by Luna - who joined Neville on his sofa - and the other Gryffindor sixth years.  
  
By the appointed time, all forty invitees had arrived and were sitting - comfortably or not - on the chairs, sofas, stools and pouffes that circled the room. When he was satisfied that everyone was ready, Harry stood up. "Good evening everyone, you know me, some of you better than others, but for the sake formality I will introduce myself. My name is Harry Potter, and as some of you know and others do not, in addition to being student, I am also the Assistant Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, or Defence Assistant for short, and I have been since the beginning of term." This pronouncement was greeted by several different reactions, the other sixth year Gryffindors, Ginny, Luna, Katie and Roger Davies were naturally not at all surprised, and the sixth year Ravenclaws present were only a little more so.  
  
"Before I actually begin anything new, I would like to give you a little background to this club you are about to join," Here Harry paused, possibly to decide exactly how much to reveal. "As you all know, last year's Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolorus Jane Umbridge, decided that it was not necessary for students to have practical experience in defending themselves, why exactly this was when one of the two OWLs in DADA is entirely practical is known only her, and anyone she chose to confide in." There were several sniggers and one or two outright laughs at this remark, though all were quickly silenced. "Now, more than most, I understand the dangers that exist in the wizarding world, I have faced some of greatest of them personally, and strange as it may seem, I had, nor I do now, have any intention of allowing myself, or those I care about, to be in danger because those around me do not know how to protect themselves. Shortly after our first lesson, I can't remember exactly when, Hermione suggested that a study group be formed, without Professor Umbridge's knowledge, which would attempt to learn practical defence techniques on their own. I agreed and after an initial meeting of interested parties at the Hog's Head Inn on the first Hogsmeade visit of last year, we began meeting in a secret location on a regular basis. Also at Hermione's suggestion - and with the approval of the rest of the club - I took charge of running it and taught the members the spells I knew might come in handy. In time, one of the members, Marietta Edgecombe, betrayed us to Umbridge and enabled to oust Dumbledore and take control of Hogwarts." he paused. "At the end of July, Professor Dumbledore came to me and asked me to reform the club - which we called Dumbledore's Army - which certain modifications. We are now approved by the Headmaster, and so will have certain responsibilities?"  
  
"What sort of responsibilities?" asked Zacharias Smith.  
  
"In addition to the training sessions, we will be working with the staff and prefects to ensure the safety of the school," Harry told him. "Those of you how are not prefects, will not be given any additional powers, however club business does grant a curfew waiver. If, when, we are attacked, the DA will be expected to be at forefront of any defence. Anyone who doesn't feel that they can handle that... The door is over there. You may walk out, all I ask is that you tell, no-one, what happens here. This applies to all of you."  
  
He waited a minute or two, then turned to Hermione. "Do you have the coins?" Hermione nodded and got up. "Last year we used spelled Galleons to notify members of the meeting times. These new coins which Hermione is handing out will do that, but they will also allow us to identify you, and make it easier for you to be tracked down if there is an emergency. Keep them on you at all times."  
  
Harry waited until Hermione had handed out the last coin and sat down beside Ron. "That's all for today. Next meeting will be a week from now, same time. Dismissed."  
  
A/N: Part of Jonas Johnson's dialogue in this chapter is adapted from dialogue in JLA: World War Three written by Grant Morrison. I'd like to everyone who has reviewed so far, and also address a comment made by one reviewer, ~*Obsessed~with~Snuffles*~. As she pointed out wizards cannot Apparate in or out of Hogwarts, however house-elves can (CoS Chapters 10 & 18) and hobgoblins (at least in my fanon) are related to house-elves, so they can too. That is also the reason why he can 'Apparate' with passengers, something wizards apparently can't do. As always, please read and review and stay tuned for Chapter Twelve, which will be up soon. 


	12. Chapter 12: Potter v Malfoy

Chapter Twelve: Potter v. Malfoy  
  
"Everyone better get a good night's sleep to-night, tomorrow's going to be hard day." Harry warned his team, when they finished Quidditch practice the night before the big match against Slytherin. Ron and the Beaters were only half listening as they were busy wrestling the Bludgers back into their box.  
  
"Will you, Harry?" Ginny asked him gently.  
  
Harry nodded, and shouldering the Lightstrike, he headed out of the changing room. Ginny followed a few seconds later, and Jamie, Mark and Civis - who was currently in his terrier form - caught up with them before they left the stadium.  
  
"Are you looking forward to watching your first Quidditch match, Jamie?" Harry asked as entered the castle.  
  
"Yeah, I am," Jamie told him. "You'll give Malfoy a pounding for me?"  
  
"That's the plan," Harry assured her. "Don't worry. Malfoy's not much of a Seeker and he's probably a worse team captain. Plus, all three of their Chasers and their Beaters are new too and if I know Malfoy, he'll pick replacements for size and obedience, not talent."  
  
"Malfoy's the new Slytherin Captain?" asked Ginny.  
  
"Yeah," Harry confirmed. "No surprise there. Apparently Malfoy used his dad's money to hire a professional coach for the team in return for the badge."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Heinreich Bern," Harry told her. "He was canned by the Falcons two years ago, when his dirty tactics cost them the third season in a row in penalty points."  
  
"So Slytherin'll have a whole load more dirty tricks up their sleeves tomorrow then."  
  
"Uh-huh," Harry agreed. "Why do you think I've been drilling you, Katie, Wilhelm and the Beaters so hard? I want you to be ready."  
  
"Do you think we are?"  
  
Harry nodded. "As long as you say sharp and play smart, you'll be fine."  
  
They reached the common room a few minutes later. "Do you want to play a game of chess before bed?" Harry asked Ginny. "Venomous Tentacula."  
  
The Fat Lady's portrait creaked open and the group climbed into the common room. "Sure, Harry."  
  
Fortunately, the common room was quite empty, and Harry and Ginny were able to snag their favourite chairs by the fire. Jamie and Mark took seats on the floor leaning against the armchairs, Mark opened up the copy of Quidditch Through The Ages he'd borrowed from Jamie, who settled herself down to watch the chess game.  
  
Ron and Hermione returned to the common room about half-an-hour later, and headed for an empty study table to work on their Charms assignment, a three- foot essay on concealment charms. By the time Harry and Ginny had finished their game (which ended after two hours when Harry pinned Ginny's king into a corner with his king and both his rooks) they still hadn't finished so Harry decided he would have to drag Ron up to the dorm and got up. "'Night, Ginny. Jamie, Mark."  
  
"Good night, Harry."  
  
Ten minutes later, Harry and Ron were both undressed and in their respective beds. "Ron, is there anything you'd like to tell me about you and Hermione?"  
  
"No, Harry. Is there anything you want to tell me about you and Ginny?"  
  
"You like Hermione, don't you, Ron?"  
  
"Go to sleep, Harry," Ron replied with a yawn. "We've got a game tomorrow."  
  
"I know that," Harry told him, and turned over to try and get to sleep. Soon, the only sounds in the room were Neville's snores.  
  
----  
  
"Good morning, everyone. And welcome to the first game of Quidditch season." announced Euan Abercrombie, the Gryffindor second year that had been appointed to replace the departed Lee Jordan. "Today, the defending champions - Gryffindor -" The majority of the spectators cheered loudly. "Will take on their fiercest rivals, Slytherin!"  
  
A small minority of supporters, all clad in Slytherin green, cheered loudly but were easily drowned out by the boos from the Gryffindor supporters.  
  
"Both teams have many substantial changes to their line-ups after the departure of several key players. So, without further ado, I present. for Gryffindor. David, Shaw, Bell, Whisp, Weasley, Weasley, and the new team captain. Harry Potter!"  
  
This time it was the cheers of the Gryffindor supporters that vied for dominance over the boos of the Slytherins.  
  
"And for Slytherin, another line-up chosen for size rather than skill."  
  
"Abercrombie."  
  
"Crabbe, Goyle, Baddock, Nott, Pritchard, Bletchley, and. Malfoy!"  
  
Harry walked to the centre circle of the pitch for the traditional handshake, he resisted the temptation to match strength with Malfoy, when Malfoy squeezed a little too hard.  
  
"Why did you come back?" hissed Malfoy, under his breath as they parted.  
  
"Unfinished business," Harry told him calmly.  
  
"We'll finish it for you."  
  
Bring it on, Malfoy.  
  
Madame Hooch walked into the centre of the pitch, and turned first to Harry, then Malfoy. "Remember, I want a nice, clean game," she warned them and released the Snitch and Bludgers, which quickly zoomed off. "Let the game, begin!"  
  
"Gryffindor are in possession, Bell, with the Quaffle. reverse pass back to Ginny Weasley, who ducks a Bludger, hit her way by Beater Goyle of Slytherin. she closing in for the goal. Chaser Nott tries to intercept, but is blocked by a Bludger from Beater David of Gryffindor. Weasley shoots. and scores! Gryffindor are ten points ahead and still in possession."  
  
Over the next twenty minutes, the fledging Gryffindor team clearly showed their superiority over the almost entirely new Slytherin team, scoring six times in rapid succession. Only a rare piece of teamwork by the Slytherin Beaters, Chasers and Keeper enabled them to capture the Quaffle long enough for three attempts at the goal. Ron saved two of them.  
  
"And Chaser Whisp of Gryffindor makes another run at the Slytherin goal - that Firebolt of his is really running rings around Slytherin's Nimbus Two Thousand and One's -"  
  
"Stick to the script, Mr Abercrombie."  
  
"Sorry Professor," said Abercrombie, not sounding sorry at all. "Slytherin Chasers Baddock and Pritchard are closing in on Whisp at an angle. It looks like they may be attempting a Parkin's Pincer." Abercrombie declared. "Wow! That had to hurt! Gryffindor Chaser Whisp jumps up off his broom and Baddock and Nott collide with each other. Whisp lands safely back on his broomstick, but Baddock and Pritchard appear to be knocked out." There was a pause for a moment. "Yes folks, it's official. Chasers Baddock and Pritchard are out and Slytherin must continue two men down. Play resumes, Chaser Whisp of Gryffindor still has the Quaffle. He approaches the shooting circle, takes aim. Heh! That was deliberate! Beater Goyle hits Whisp in head and that's a penalty for cobbing to Gryffindor!"  
  
Catching his Chaser's eye, Harry signalled to Whisp to drop back. The skinny fourth-year nodded and passed the Quaffle to Katie, who had no difficulty in slipping it past Bletchley to give Gryffindor a comfortable seventy-point lead.  
  
It wasn't until Gryffindor had extended their lead to a hundred and ten points to Slytherin's twenty that Harry first saw the glittering gold that was the Snitch. It was fluttering down by the one of the hoops of the Gryffindor goal. Glancing around, he noticed with a grin that Malfoy was looking in completely the wrong direction, and was busy watching Crabbe, Goyle and Nott - the only remaining Chaser - try and stop another push for the goal by Gryffindor's Chasers, this time led by Katie Bell. Grinning to himself, Harry turned his broomstick towards the goal and drifted over, looking for all the world as if he just wanted to have a chat with his Keeper. "How's it going, Ron?"  
  
"Fine, Harry," Ron told him. "Haven't had that much to do to be honest. It's been a bit boring compared to last year."  
  
"Well, I've no problem with that. Do you?" Harry asked and thrust out his hand.  
  
"What the.!" exclaimed Ron, then he grinned as Harry held up the tiny, struggling ball for all to see.  
  
"Gryffindor Captain Harry Potter catches the Snitch!" announced Abercrombie. "Gryffindor wins!"  
  
----  
  
When Harry reached the ground, he was almost bowled over by a short, dark- haired and decidedly female person barrelling into him at high speed. Harry grinned and wrapped his arms around his young friend to steady her.  
  
"Harry, that was brilliant! Especially the way you completely caught Malfoy by surprise!"  
  
"Thanks, Jamie," Harry said, still grinning widely. "So you liked your first Quidditch match, then?"  
  
"Yeah, I did," Jamie admitted. "When's the next one?"  
  
"Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are playing next weekend," Harry told her, sneaking a glance at Luna, who had just arrived arm-in-arm with Neville, followed by the Creeveys. Luna was wearing the same roaring lion hat as last year, but this time she had - with Civis' help - managed to add a serpent for the lion to chew. "We could go to that if you want?"  
  
Jamie looked at Harry with narrowed eyes, as if to say, I may be young but I'm not stupid. "When are Gryffindor playing next?"  
  
"Not until after Christmas, I'm afraid," Harry admitted with a sigh of his own. "You're always welcome at practices though."  
  
"Where are Ron and Hermione?" Ginny asked, when she joined them a few seconds later.  
  
Harry shrugged, "I don't know."  
  
"You might want to look over there," said Mark with a look of disgust on his face, pointing towards the now unwatched Gryffindor goal hoops.  
  
Harry did, then smiled, and then taking Ginny's left arm in one of his, and keeping a hold of Jamie's right, he steered the group back out of sight towards the Gryffindor changing rooms. "I think they want to be alone," he told the group. "I'm sure they'll catch up later."  
  
Just before he disappeared into the changing room, he turned to Colin. "Please tell me you got a picture of that?" he asked him. Colin nodded vigorously. "I want copies. Lots of copies."  
  
----  
  
Thanks to Ron and Hermione's late arrival back at Gryffindor Tower, and the boisterous celebrations that began as soon as the team returned to Gryffindor Tower - Harry had sent Civis (in his Charles Goodfellow disguise) down to Hogsmeade to pick up a large selection of goodies from Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks earlier that day, and had also recruited the services of Dobby the house elf to liberate food from the kitchens - Harry wasn't able to talk with Ron about the change in his two best friends' relationship straight away but he was fine with that. After saying goodbye to Luna at the Fat Lady's Portrait, he got himself some Butterbeer and some food and joined Ginny in the best chairs near the fire, Mark and Jamie, also well supplied with goodies sat on the rug between them. Civis, in his crow form, perched on the back of Harry's chair.  
  
"You did well today, Gin," Harry told her. "You were right when you said you'd make a better Chaser than Seeker, though you were pretty good at that too."  
  
"Well of course I am, Harry," Ginny said with a grin. "I chased you for three years didn't I?"  
  
"So you did Ginny, " Harry conceded. "So you did."  
  
"Can we change the subject?" asked Mark.  
  
Ginny giggled and turned the conservation to more comfortable topics, and the evening passed quietly until Katie called an end to the party at about eleven o'clock. Harry waited until Jamie and Mark had disappeared up the stairs and then drew Ginny into a dark corner of the common room. Taking his friend's chin in one hand, he tilted her head back so she was looking him directly in his eye. "May that game begin again."  
  
A/N: The quote: "Why did you come back?" "Unfinished business," "We'll finish it for you." is taken from D3: The Mighty Ducks, starring Emilio Estevez and written by Kenneth Johnson and Jim Bernstein. As always please review. Chapter 13 will up as soon as I can manage it. 


	13. Chapter 13: All Hallows Evil

Chapter Thirteen: All Hallows Evil

**Chapter Thirteen: All Hallows Evil**

"Will you two be okay on your own?" Harry asked Jamie and Mark after breakfast the Saturday before Halloween. As it was the first Hogsmeade visit of the new term, he was wearing his dragonhide boots and coat rather than his usual robes and cloak, and Civis — who was sitting waiting on one of the windowsills — was in his 'Charles Goodfellow' disguise and was wearing his grey Muggle suit with a full-length woollen overcoat and a bowler hat.

"We'll be fine, Harry," Jamie told him. "We're going to spend most of the time in the Library. We've got a bit behind on our homework."

"Okay, but if you go anywhere other than the Library, the common room or the Great Hall, make sure you're in a group." Harry told her. "If you have any problems, find Katie or one of the professors — preferably Dumbledore or Ambrose — McGonagall and Flitwick will probably be in the village. Do you remember the password to Dumbledore's office?"

"Liquorice wand?" asked Jamie tentatively.

"That's right," Harry told her. "We'll be back before nightfall."

"See you later, Harry."

Harry stood up and crossed to the portrait hole. Ron and Neville joined him almost immediately and Ginny and Hermione arrived a few minutes later. Unlike Harry, they were all wearing their usual cloaks, though Ron eyed Harry's coat enviously. _I guess I know what to get him for Christmas, _Harry thought to himself. "Shall we go?"

They all nodded in agreement and Harry pushed open the portrait hole and climbed through. The others quickly followed, with Ginny and Civis flanking Harry, and Neville bringing up the rear.

"Where's Luna meeting us?" Hermione asked Neville, after a minute or two.

"In the Entrance Hall."

"I hope she's there already," Harry said. "I want to get to the village before the shops get too busy. I've got some stuff to buy."

Civis raised his eyebrows slightly, but didn't comment, and Harry chose to ignore him.

Harry got his wish, and the six teenagers entered the village about ten minutes later. When they entered the village proper, Hermione spoke up. "Ginny and I have some shopping we need to do. Can we meet you outside Honeydukes in an hour?"

"Sure, no problem, 'Mione." Harry told her. "I need Ron's advice about something anyway."

Neville and Luna disappeared down the side street that Harry had taken with Cho the year before. Although it was possible that they were headed for Madam Puddifoot's, Harry thought it was more likely that they were heading for Broadmoor's Botanicals, an exotic plant shop he'd spotted three doors down from the café.

"So where do you want to go, Harry?" Ron asked.

"I'm not sure," Harry admitted. "I want to get Ginny something for her birthday though."

"Well, unless you want to get her another book…?"

Harry shook his head, books were fine for Hermione, but he wanted to give Ginny something special.

"Well, why don't we have a look in Jedrec's Jewel Emporium?" Ron suggested. "I got Hermione's perfume there last Christmas, and they've got jewellery and stuff like that too."

_Sounds good,_ Harry thought with a smile. "Show me."

"It's this way," Ron told him and ducked down another side street. Harry and Civis followed him immediately.

----

Jedrec's Jewel Emporium turned out to be a goblin-owned business — which according to Ron, was apparently quite common. The goblin behind the counter looked up as they entered. He smiled at the two boys, but it turned to a scowl when he saw Civis. "What can I do for you, gentlemen?"

"Nothing for me, Jedrec," Ron told the goblin, "Your stuff's nice, but I can't afford your prices very often. That bottle of perfume cost me three months pocket money!"

"But your girl liked it, didn't she?" demanded the goblin. Ron nodded. "I stock only the best, and if you buy the best you've got to pay top prices. If you want cheap junk, go to Dervish and Banges! Now, do you have business to conduct, or are you just wasting my time?!"

Harry, sensing Civis stiffen behind him, decided it was about time to get the ball rolling before either Civis attacked the goblin or Jedrec threw them out. "I would like to buy something, but I'm not sure what…"

"Well, if you want advice, you'll have to tell me a little about the person you're giving it to."

Harry paused, he wasn't sure quite how much he wanted to say in front of Ron. "Her name's Ginny Weasley, it's her birthday tomorrow…"

"Weasley…" pondered Jedrec. "A redhead, then?" Harry nodded. "Any known likes and dislikes?"

"She likes boys named Harry Potter, for some reason," muttered Ron.

Harry poked Ron in the chest. "Uhh, she likes… cats."

"Interesting… I've got one or two ideas. Colours?"

"She likes green," Ron told him.

"And red too," Harry added.

"Interesting… very interesting."

"Perhaps a bracelet, or a necklace, Harry?" suggested Civis.

Harry nodded, "A necklace sounds nice."

The goblin nodded and ducked under his counter, emerging moments later with two small trays: one with a selection of gold necklaces and another with a selection of silver ones. After about half an hour of examining the merchandise, Harry eventually picked a simple gold necklace with a single cat charm with emeralds set in the eye sockets and flanked by two small rubies. "How much?"

"For that piece… seventy Galleons," replied Jedrec promptly.

Harry moved to bring out his money pouch, but Civis stopped him. "Excuse me, the current market value of those stones is no more than thirty Galleons. Therefore, with the gold and workmanship, I would say a value of… no more than fifty Galleons would be accurate."

"Fifty?!" exclaimed Jedrec. "My craftsmen are the finest in the land! It is worth _at least_ sixty-five!"

"Sixty," insisted Civis. "Not a Knut more."

"Very well," grumbled Jedrec and ducked under the counter for the box. Harry thought he heard him muttering something. "Ruddy hobgoblins, always getting in the way, how's a goblin supposed to make an honest living?"

Harry handed over the required amount without protest, although Ron's eyes closed resembled saucers. He tucked the small box into his inside breast pocket and turned to leave. "Not a word to anyone about this, Ron. Understood? Not even Hermione."

"Sorry about interrupting you back there, Harry," Civis said. "But you've got to watch goblins. Most of them would sell their own mothers, if they could get away with it."

"Not a problem, Civis," Harry assured him. "Although the extra ten Galleons wouldn't have been a problem."

"I know that, Harry. It's the principle of the thing."

"Hang on…" said Ron. "So you're saying that he probably overcharges everyone?"

"Well, he'd know better than to try it on Dumbledore or Flitwick, maybe McGonagall… but, pretty much everyone else… yeah, probably."

"So he overcharged me for that perfume I bought for Hermione?"

"Was it that Rose Bloom Essence she was wearing at the Quidditch match?" Civis asked. Ron nodded. "Not bad stuff that. Allowing for inflation since James got Lily a bottle for her seventeenth… I'd say a standard-sized bottle would be worth between ten Galleons and twelve Galleons, nine Sickles. Fifteen maximum."

"Fifteen!" exclaimed Ron. "I paid twenty-two!"

"Oh dear," said Harry. "I guess you'd better add that to the list of things you aren't going to tell Hermione."

"Good idea," agreed Ron. "Can we go into Gladrags? I need to get another T-shirt, my only decent one's getting a little frayed."

"Sure," Harry told him. "I wouldn't mind a look round in there myself."

They emerged about ten minutes later with a bag each. Ron had three new T-shirts, all paid for by Harry ("To make up for Jedrec cheating you") and Harry had picked up several pairs of warm socks, one of the few purchases that he hadn't made when they were at Diagon Alley. Civis then reminded them it was almost time to meet the others outside Honeydukes, so they headed back towards the store. By the time they got there, Ginny and Hermione were already waiting, clutching several bags each.

"Where have you been, 'Mione?" Ron asked, taking a couple of the bags from her and putting one arm around her waist.

"All over the place," Hermione told him, blushing a little from their close proximity. "Where have you been?"

"We went into a couple of places. I needed to get a couple of T-shirts, so we went into Gladrags and Harry needed to get something from Faber's Lane, so we went done there."

"What did you want from down there?" Ginny asked Harry, trying to peek into the bags he was holding. "Is it something for me?"

Harry smiled. "Now what might give you that idea?"

"Well, it _is _my birthday tomorrow," Ginny pointed out.

"You'll find out tomorrow, Gin," Harry told her, and slipped his arm round her waist. Ginny snuggled into the crook of his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of being close to him. "Does anyone want anything from Honeydukes?"

Ron nodded and moved to head inside, Harry handed him some silver and told him to buy some Chocolate Frogs. "Ginny and I'll stay outside to wait for Neville and Luna." Ron nodded his agreement and he and Hermione entered the shop.

Neville and Luna joined them a couple of minutes later and they chatted for a few minutes until Ron and Hermione came back out of the sweet shop. "Shall we adjourn to the Three Broomsticks?" suggested Civis. "While I do not feel the cold, you do, and I can tell that this weather is… less than clement."

As it was now snowing heavily Harry could see his point, and he led the way to the pub. When they got inside, he passed his moneybag to Civis and nodded to the bar, which was manned as usual by the aged, but still somewhat attractive Madame Rosmerta. Civis smiled to her and headed over, while Harry and his gang sat down at one of the larger tables facing the street. Glancing around, he could see that Hagrid and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were there enjoying a drink as usual, though this time they'd been joined Dr Chrystan, who was in the middle of a drinking contest with Hagrid, and much to Harry's surprise appeared to be winning.

Also present in the bar were the usual mixed bag of students — including a large group of Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, mostly members of the DA. There were also about a dozen Slytherins present, all told, mostly huddled in corners on their own. The only exceptions were Jessie Blackfern and Morgan Redthorn — who were sharing a table with the two Davies brothers and Roger's girlfriend Bonnie Barnsdall, the Ravenclaw seventh year Prefect — and Romulus Moon and Blaise Zabini, who were chatting to Seamus Finnigan over by the bar.

They were on their second round of Butterbeers when Jonas Johnson's telepathic 'voice' popped into Harry's head. «_This is a Priority-Three Emergency. All members of the Defence Council please return to Hogwarts immediately. Rendezvous point: Greenhouse Two_.»

«_What's going on?_» Harry asked.

«_You will find out when you arrive_,» Jonas told him. «_However, if you can locate Susan Bones, you would be wise bring her with you. Draw your own conclusions_.»

«_I'm on my way_.» Harry told him. "Guys, something's come up, I've got to go back to the castle."

"Should we come with you?" asked Ginny.

"No, it's Defence Council business," Harry said, rising and shrugging his coat back on. "I'll tell you later if I can."

"Okay."

"Do you want me to accompany you?"

"No, Civis," Harry told him. "I'll be with McGonagall, Flitwick and Dr Chrystan so I'll be fine. I want you to stay here and make sure the others get back to the castle."

"Very well."

Harry headed over to the table filled with members of the DA, and easily picked out the long, braided red hair of Susan Bones — she was sitting against the wall between Justin Finch-Fletchley and Hannah Abbot. After a minute, she noticed he was watching her. "Hi Harry, what's up?"

"I need you to come with me," Harry told her. "There's some trouble at the greenhouses, and the Headmaster wants us to meet him there."

"Okay," she said. "Can my friends come with us?"

"No, just you," Harry told her. "Dumbledore's orders."

Dr Chrystan and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick met them at the door. "You got the message, Harry?" asked McGonagall.

"Of course, Professor," Harry confirmed. "I suggest we take the passage from the Shack, it'll be quicker."

"Agreed."

A whispered password ("I solemnly swear I am up to no good.") caused part of the wall of the Shack to melt away and the four of them entered the derelict old ruin. The wall melted back into place behind them. They hurried down the underground passage and McGonagall transformed just long enough to trigger the knot on the Whomping Willow.

When they arrived at the greenhouses, Jonas Johnson and Professor Ambrose were busy conducting an examination inside Greenhouse Two, and Professors Dumbledore and Snape were outside, clearly discussing something.

"What is it, Albus?" asked McGonagall.

"There has been another attack, a first year Hufflepuff." Dumbledore replied and then turned to Susan. "I am sorry, Miss Bones... it was your sister, Anita."

----

After a whispered conference, the Defence Council agreed that Harry and Dr Chrystan would escort Susan up to the Infirmary where Professor Sprout was already waiting with her injured sister, while Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape waited outside Greenhouse Two for Professor Ambrose and Detective Johnson to finish their investigation of the scene.

When they reached the second floor, the door to the Infirmary opened and a well-built man in his early to late forties, wearing dark-grey robes and a long, black, hooded cloak, left the room and walked briskly towards them. He acknowledged Harry and Dr Chrystan with a nod. "Potter. Doctor."

"Hello Malone, any news?"

"Nothing new, she's in the same condition as Miss Clayton was. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Thanks Malone," Harry said. "If you want to talk to the Headmaster, he's still down at the greenhouses."

"Understood."

Harry went up to the door and knocked.

"_Who is it_?"

"Harry Potter. Dr Chrystan and Susan Bones are with me."

The door opened and three familiar faces confronted Harry: the raven-haired Hit-Wizard, Jason Draper; his green-eyed, red-haired girlfriend, Corinne Anderson; and the blond Animorphmagus, Jarred Laken. "Hi guys," Harry said. "How are things at home?"

"Fine, Harry," Draper assured him. "Once you and the others moved back to Hogwarts, Mad-Eye decided that one guard was enough, Sandra's there at the moment. She, Antonia and Ray've been handing it."

Harry heard a gasp from Susan, she had reached the bed where her sister was lying. Harry glanced over and saw to his relief that the motherly Professor Sprout had already moved to comfort her, so he headed for the nurses' office. He knocked on the door. "Madame Pomfrey?"

The nurse looked around, "Yes, Mr Potter?"

"Malone said her injuries were the same as Jamie's?"

"Yes, they were," she confirmed. "You should also know that I found the pieces of her wand in one of her pockets, it had been snapped in half."

"The same thing that is done to students when they've been expelled."

The Matron nodded, "Like Miss Clayton, she's been Confounded. So she doesn't remember anything clearly, just a few incoherent snatches."

"Understood," said Harry. "Has Draper talked to her?"

"Yes," Madam Pomfrey confirmed. "He couldn't get anything useful."

"Let me know if anything changes."

"Of course, Mr Potter."

Harry strode back out into the Infirmary and joined the Guardians by the door. "Draper, I don't care what you have to do, but Anita gets round the clock protection until we get Malfoy for these attacks. I also want eyes on Susan any time she leaves her common room. You don't need to worry about Jamie, my friends and I are looking after her with Civis' help."

Draper nodded, as though he had expected Harry's request. "Jarred's going to stick with Anita, and Jonas is going to keep constant lock on Susan's DA coin at all times. That should alert us if anyone tries anything."

"Good, I'm going to check in with Sparky and Jonas and then head down to dinner." Harry told them and left, closing the door behind him. «_Sparky, have Jonas and Professor Ambrose finished their examination of the scene yet_?»

«_Yes, Harry_.»

«_And…_?»

«_Little of relevance. However, we do have one more piece of circumstantial evidence_.»

«_What_?»

«_A Slytherin prefect's badge_.»

_A/N: Sorry for the slight cliffhanger folks. Unfortunately I'm rather busy over the next couple of days, so I probably won't be able to start on the next chapter before Monday, though I'll try and post it as quickly as I can. In the meantime, please review. _


	14. Chapter 14: Broken Bones

Chapter Fourteen: Broken Bones  
  
"Did you slip her the note?" Harry asked Colin as he and his brother slipped into the DA room the next evening. A group almost as large as the DA was assembled inside, although it was a little different in composition: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna were already there, as were the Boneses, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie MacMillan, and Hannah Abbott, as well as Katie, Simon Capper, Wilhelm Whisp and now the Creeveys. However, they had also been joined by the other members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Hagrid, Jamie, Mark and Civis, at last but not least, several ex- students: Fred, George, Bill, Fleur, Angelina, Alicia, plus Jason Draper, Corrine Anderson and Jarred Laken.  
  
"Is everything ready? Everyone's here?" Harry asked, looking at Civis and Hermione, who had been preparing everything and sending out invitations. Both nodded.  
  
"She's coming," Civis told them.  
  
"Right, everyone to your places," said Harry, reaching into his pocket to check that the small, gift-wrapped box was still there. It was. When he was satisfied that everyone was in their places - the twins, Bill, Fleur, Angelina and Alicia had taken refuge in Harry's office - he took out his wand. "Restinguere."  
  
The room was plunged into darkness, and Harry tensed, waiting for Ginny to open the door.  
  
Seconds later, the door open and Harry could still Ginny silhouetted against the light from the corridor. "Harry, I got your note. Are you in here?"  
  
Harry waited a few seconds and used a whispered Fire Charm to bring light into torches suspended around the room. With a yelled, "SURPRISE!" Everyone leaped out from behind their hiding places. Because Harry was the closest to the door, he reached Ginny first, and was surprised - but not displeased - when Ginny, beaming with glee, jumped on him and gave him a hug. "This was your idea, wasn't it?" she whispered into his ear.  
  
"Yeah, well, Hermione and Luna told me you haven't had a birthday party since you came to Hogwarts, and I knew that that's what I miss most about my birthday, especially now, so I thought I'd arrange one for you. Do you like it?"  
  
"I love it, Harry. Thank you." Ginny told him, releasing her hold around his neck, and settling into the curve of one of his arms.  
  
Harry guided her over to her usual seat and sat down on the chair's broad arm, taking the small box with the necklace inside from his pocket. "I hope you like this too. It's for you. Happy Birthday, Gin."  
  
Ginny smiled and shyly took it from him, ripped off the wrapping paper - which was red with a pattern of Snitches (Harry had bought the roll in Quality Quidditch Supplies back in August) - and eased open the box. For the second time that night, her face lit up in delight. "Harry, it's beautiful. But. it must have a cost a fortune!"  
  
"Maybe it did, maybe it didn't," Harry said, evasively. "But you're worth every Knut of it."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Would you like me to put it on for you?" Harry asked.  
  
Not trusting herself to speak, Ginny just nodded, and waited as Harry removed the necklace from its case, then flicked open the catch of the chain and moved to place it around her neck. His hand lingered in her hair for a moment as he pushed it out of the way, then fastened the clasp at the nape of her neck.  
  
The intimacy of the moment was disrupted seconds later, by Fred breaking in with his usual lack of tact. "Heh, Harry. You can't keep her to yourself all night. Give the rest of us a chance!"  
  
With a frown, Harry ceded to the request, and returned to his chair a few feet away. Then he watched with pleasure as Ginny opened gift after gift from the guests - though some part of him felt a surge of joy that none of them produced the extravagant reaction that the necklace had.  
  
Part way through the party, Fleur moved to Harry's side and bent down to talk to him. "'Arry, might I 'ave a word?"  
  
"Of course, Fleur," Harry told her. "What is it?"  
  
"I could not 'elp but notice earlier... what iz zair between you and Ginny?"  
  
Harry sighed, he knew that he'd have to talk to someone about him and Ginny, but Fleur wasn't who he had had in mind. "I'd rather not talk about it, Fleur."  
  
"I zink you should talk to someone, 'Arry." Fleur said. "If not me, zen perhaps your godfather or..."  
  
"I don't know what I feel about her..." Harry admitted. "All I know is... When she's sad, I'm sad for her. When she's happy, I'm happy too. No matter how bad I feel, she can always get through to me. If anything happened to her... it would kill me." He turned to Fleur. "What you think?"  
  
"I'd suggest analyzing ze last fourteen seconds of conversation. I zink you'll find you anzered your own question."  
  
"Yes... I think you're right," Harry admitted. "But... well I'm sure you've heard about the crush she used to have me? Cho and Michael?"  
  
Fleur nodded, "'Arry, all I can say is to follow your heart, and don't yet your natural fears about your emotions get in ze way." At that moment, Bill came over and towed Fleur away towards the table where the deserts were.  
  
----  
  
Eventually, the party broke up, with most of the students heading back to their common rooms. Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Civis and the three Guardians followed Harry into his office.  
  
"Well, what happened last night, Harry?" asked Hermione. "Can you tell us?"  
  
Harry nodded grimly. "It was another attack."  
  
"What? Who?"  
  
"Anita Bones, Susan's little sister."  
  
"Is she okay?"  
  
Harry nodded. "She had a minor skull fracture, a couple broken ribs, and a sprained ankle, plus a few cuts and bruises. Malone and Madam Pomfrey had fixed her up by the time I got up there."  
  
"Malfoy?" asked Ginny.  
  
"Got to be," Harry told her. "We still can't prove it though. Jonas found a Prefect's badge at scene."  
  
"Won't that help?"  
  
"No, Neville," Hermione told him. "Malfoy was wearing a badge at breakfast this morning. I happened to notice."  
  
Harry nodded. "I checked with Romulus Moon. As far as he knows, Malfoy and his cronies spent all afternoon practising Quidditch, and Bern confirms it."  
  
"Yeah, right. Does anyone believe that?"  
  
"Not for a minute, Ron," Harry assured him. "But we can't prove it."  
  
"So we just have to wait, until he attacks again? Or slips up in some other way?"  
  
For a minute or two, everyone was quiet. Then Draper spoke. "Welcome to my world."  
  
----  
  
Surprisingly enough, everything was fairly quiet for the next month or so, there were no more attacks on the students and although the Daily Prophet reported attacks on Muggle, Muggle-born and Ministry targets almost daily, so far - thanks to the Aurors of the Dark Force Defence League and the Order of the Phoenix - no-one they knew had been hurt. While Harry tried to be optimistic, he knew it was too good to last and at every meeting of the DA he urged the members to be vigilant and progressed further and further into offensive and defensive magic, and eventually most of the club - with the exception of one or two of the third and fourth years - quickly assimilated techniques not usually taught until seventh year, and Harry planned to teach them some spells he had learned from Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody before the end of the year.  
  
Harry was in the middle of a Double Potions lesson on the Monday before classes broke up for Christmas when Maxine Guvara, a first-year Gryffindor, knocked on the door of the Potions classroom. Snape frowned and told her to come in. "Excuse me Professor, the Headmaster wants to see Harry Potter in his office right away."  
  
"Very well," Snape said with a sneer. "Potter, I'll expect you back as soon as you're finished."  
  
"I will come back if it's possible, Severus. However, it may not be." Harry told him. He gathered up his things and took his cauldron off the fire. "I'll be back for that." He leaned over to Hermione, who was as usual sharing the table with him. "Save some of yours will you? I'd like some for my collection."  
  
Hermione nodded. She'd noticed after the third lesson that Harry had got into the habit of pocketing some of each potion they worked on, and you didn't need to be a genius - which she was - to figure out why he might want some of the mild sleeping draught known as the Dormirus Potion.  
  
"Do you know what's up?" Harry asked Maxine as they hurried towards Dumbledore's office.  
  
"No, but I do know that he wanted Professors McGonagall and Sprout, and the Bones." Maxine admitted.  
  
Oh dear, that can't be good, thought Harry and speeded up. As if they haven't gone through enough with Anita being attacked, it looks like something else has gone wrong. I just wonder what Albus wants me for?  
  
They reached Dumbledore's office in record time, Harry gasped the password ("Blood pops!") to the gargoyle then turned to Maxine. "I'm sure you have a class right now?"  
  
"Yes, History of Magic."  
  
"Well then, I suggest you go back," Harry said, then added with a grin, "I doubt you'll have missed much."  
  
"Yes, I doubt I have," agreed the girl and ran off.  
  
When Harry ascended to Dumbledore's office, he noticed that in addition to Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall and Susan Bones, there was another unfamiliar woman there, and she was dressed in what appeared to be Muggle clothing: black leggings, a frilly, deep-purple blouse of deep and knee- length dragon-hide boots, her long, curly, black hair was tying back in a head-scarf of the same colour as her blouse.  
  
"Harry, I'm glad you could come, I don't think you know Serina Wayling?" Dumbledore said. Harry shook his head. "Serina is a member of the Order, and like Mundungus is occasionally used for. dubious purposes."  
  
"What the old dingbat is trying not to stay." Serina added, ignoring the scowl from Professor McGonagall. "Is that I'm a thief."  
  
"A thief?"  
  
"Yes, does that bother you?"  
  
"Nope, long as you leave my stuff alone, and that of my friends."  
  
"No problem," she assured. "I don't steal from friends, or those who can't afford."  
  
"Does that include the Malfoys?"  
  
"Of course," purred Serina. "A girl's gotta steal from someone, and they've got lots of. nice, sparkly things. Half the time they don't even miss them."  
  
McGonagall sighed, Harry could tell she was not comfortable with this conversation. "Could we get down to business?"  
  
"Unfortunately, we are still waiting for Pomona and young Miss Bones," Dumbledore reminded her. "However, I believe they are on their way up."  
  
Sure enough, the dumpy Herbology Professor arrived seconds later with Susan's little sister in tow. "If you will all take a seat?" asked Dumbledore. "Serina, if you would begin?"  
  
Serina nodded, but before she began, she leaned over to whisper in Harry's ear. "Just remember, Harry. If you need something pinched, I'm your pussy cat?"  
  
"You're a cat Animagus?"  
  
"Mmmm. Nothing so pedestrian. I'm a panther."  
  
"Serina, if you please?"  
  
"Certainly, Albie." Professor McGonagall bristled, and Serina, noticed smiled to herself. "Well, as I'm sure most of you know, the Order has been guarding certain Wizarding and Muggle-born families since last summer."  
  
Harry glanced around, this appeared to be news only to Professor Sprout. "My daughter, Helena, and I have been watching over the Bones estate for the last four months, it's been quiet and we haven't had anything to do. However, when I got back from a trip to Knockturn Alley to talk to a couple of contacts there. well, that had changed. It was lucky that I Apparated back to our observation post in the woods, instead into the house like I sometimes do, because the house was in ruins. After looking around for a bit I started to find the bodies. seven Hit Wizards were dead, and two were injured, the only one left alive was an old friend of mine, Sergeant Hank Rocklin."  
  
"What about our parents. Aunt Amelia?"  
  
"I found them too. By that time, Rocklin had gone for help and I'd found Helena, she had got pinned by a big chunk of masonry. She has a shattered pelvis, a damaged spine, and both her legs are broken."  
  
"Will she be okay?" Harry asked.  
  
"She'll live, some aren't so lucky," she paused. "I'm sorry, Susan, Anita. Your parents and your aunt Amelia are dead."  
  
Sharon just sat there in shocked disbelief, but Anita let out a great sob and buried her face in her sister's robes. Harry could tell she was crying but wasn't sure what he should do. He had a idea what they were going through, but he was never very good with emotional people, that was Ginny or Mrs Weasley's department. He decided to focus on what he could think of. "What's going to happen to them, Albus? I mean, they obviously can't go home, there's nothing left. Will they go and stay with relatives?"  
  
"We don't have any anymore," said Susan. "We've nowhere, only Hogwarts."  
  
"That is not precisely true, Susan," said Dumbledore gently. "You do have a living relative, and he was indeed got somewhere where you can stay."  
  
Suddenly, Harry realised why he'd been called there. "My great-grandfather Algernon's wife was Agatha Bones!"  
  
"You are correct, Harry," Dumbledore replied. "You are their only living relative, and according to ancient wizard law are required to open your home to them. Will you?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"But that doesn't help much. He lives with those awful Muggles!"  
  
"Actually, I don't anymore," Harry told Susan. "I live at Gryphon's Eyrie with Professor Lupin, my godfather, Sirius Black and his cousin Tonks."  
  
"What's Gryphon's Eyrie?" asked Anita. "And why are you living there?"  
  
"It's the ancestral home of the Potter family. We've lived there, on and off, since the late 11th century." Harry replied. "It's a small castle hidden in the mountains of Scotland, somewhere off the North Sea coast."  
  
"You don't know where it is?"  
  
"No, I don't," Harry admitted. "It's location is known only to one living person."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Civis. As Warden of Gryphon's Eyrie it was felt he needed to know."  
  
"Is it safe?"  
  
"It is, Susan," Harry assured her. "It's Unplottable, invisible to all known wizard or Muggle methods of surveillance or location methods, including visual, and it is surrounded by anti-Portkey and anti-Apparation wards. The only entry point is via Floo to the fireplace in the Entrance Hall, the only door out of which is protected by an Unbreakable Hostility Charm, which prevents anyone who wants to harm anyone inside from entering. In other words... It's about the safest place to live in Britain, except maybe Hogwarts."  
  
"If there are no other questions?" asked Dumbledore."  
  
"Was anything salvaged from our house?"  
  
"Yes, it has all been transferred to Gryphon's Eyrie." Dumbledore replied. "The Reading of The Will, will take place tomorrow afternoon at four, and the funeral will be in two days. Your parents and your aunt specified a private ceremony so only you and a few of their colleagues will be present."  
  
"How will we get there?"  
  
"By carriage, you should meet me in the Entrance Hall at nine o'clock."  
  
"You're coming with us?"  
  
"Yes, as a senior member of the Wizengamot, I have been invited to attend the funeral. Mr Draper, Miss Anderson and Mr Laken will also be coming for your protection."  
  
"Thank you, Professor."  
  
"I will seen you then. Good night."  
  
Harry and the Bones rose and moved to leave, Anita and Susan went first, hugging each other close, and Harry brought up the rear. When they reached the base of the stairs, Harry headed for the DADA corridor, intending to use the fireplace in his office to take to his godfather.  
  
A/N: Fleur's line: "I'd suggest analyzing ze last fourteen seconds of conversation. I zink you'll find you anzered your own question." (minus my poor attempt at a French accent) was taken from Devin K. Grayson and Phil Jimenez's JLA/Titans: The Technis Imperative. As always reviews will be greatly appreciated and I will aim to address any responsible concerns you have. 


	15. Chapter 15: Revelations of Relations

Chapter Fifteen: Revelations of Relations  
  
It was only three days before the next attack. Harry was sparring with Rose Wilkes, using fighting staffs - watched by Jason Draper - when he was distracted by a telepathic call from Jonas Johnson. He winced as his opponent's staff slipped through his guard and rapped him on the shoulder, then he held up his hand for a halt and then answered the Order's resident Psychomens. «What is it, Jonas?»  
  
«We have another Priority Three Emergency,» he replied. «Another girl has been found injured on the third floor, in the restricted corridor. Dr Chrystan, Professors Ambrose and McGonagall and I are on the scene. Can you join us?»  
  
«Give me ten minutes,» Harry told him. «I'm on my way.» He returned his staff to its wall and turned to Draper. "There's been another attack, get everyone you can spare up to the Infirmary. Let's try and get something this time."  
  
"We're on it," Draper promised as the two Guardians headed for the door. Harry strapped his wand back onto arm and put his jumper and dragonhide jacket back on before heading out of the DA classroom himself.  
  
----  
  
"What's up, Harry?" Ginny asked, as she and Luna entered his office a few hours later.  
  
"I'll tell you as soon as the others arrive," Harry told her. "Both of you take a seat." They did and were joined within ten minutes by 'the others': Ron, Hermione, Neville, Civis, Susan Bones (who had returned only an hour before), Romulus Moon and Blaise Zabini, and the four Guardians. Harry turned to Civis and Draper, who were standing to the right of his desk. "Is everyone protected?"  
  
Civis nodded, "Jamie and Mark will be fine, Johnson and the Bash Brothers are with them."  
  
"Jarred handed Anita off to Smith, Abbott and MacMillan before he came up," Draper replied, glancing at Jarred for conformation. The blond Animorphmagus nodded. "Davies, Padma Patil and Goldstein are in the Infirmary, as per your instructions."  
  
"Has there been another attack?" asked Susan, hesitantly.  
  
Harry nodded, "Yes, a second-year Ravenclaw, Lilith Portland. She was found a couple of hours ago in the restricted corridor, on the third floor."  
  
"Is she okay?"  
  
"She's stable, Gin," Harry replied. "One of her broken ribs punctured her right lung and she also has some fairly serious abdominal wounds too. From a knife?" he said, looking at Draper.  
  
"That's what Thomas thought," Draper replied. "He left her about half an hour ago."  
  
"Jonas said you found a hair sample?" Harry prompted.  
  
"Yes, we did, trapped in her clenched fist," admitted Draper. "Blond. Professor Snape stills maintains there isn't enough evidence to implicate Malfoy."  
  
"Damn that man!" snarled Harry. "What does he want... a confession?!" Harry was furious, he was so angry that he was shaking and his breathing was quite ragged.  
  
At first no-one knew what to do, then Ginny - who was more comfortable with Harry's rages than most of the others - got up from the chair she sitting on and moving to his side took his hand in hers and looked him straight in the eyes. "We'll get them, Harry. Malfoy and Snape."  
  
After a minute or two, Harry stopped shaking and his breathing returned to normal. "Thanks, Gin."  
  
"Anytime, Harry," Ginny assured him, and still keeping hold of his hand she moved to perch on his desk.  
  
"What have we got?" asked Hermione.  
  
Harry paused a moment, "Well, there have been three attacks: Jamie, on September 1st; Anita, on October 30th; and Lilith Portland, earlier today."  
  
"Evidence?"  
  
Harry didn't reply, so Draper took the question. "A statement from Jamie Clayton saying that she was attacked by four students, who she was unable to identify; a Slytherin Prefect's badge; and the hair sample found earlier today."  
  
"Do we know if Jamie, Anita and Lilith Portland have anything in common?" Ginny asked. "Something that links them? A reason why Malfoy - or anyone else - would pick them particularly?"  
  
"They're all redheads," offered Ron.  
  
"I doubt that's it," Harry told him. "But you have a point."  
  
"Jamie and Anita are first-years, but Lilith Portland's a second-year," Hermione reminded them. "So their age isn't a factor. And they're all from a different Houses, so that can't be it either."  
  
"You're a pureblood, right?" Romulus Moon asked Susan.  
  
"Mostly, my family's been pure for four or five generations, as far I know."  
  
At a glance from Harry, Civis nodded confirmation. Harry sighed. "But Jamie's a Muggle-born and Lilith's a quarter-blood - her father's mum was a Muggle. So that doesn't help us either."  
  
"There's something we're not thinking of..." Civis said. "Something we're missing..."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"I don't know," Civis said. "I should know... It's like something's stopping me from remembering..."  
  
"A Memory Charm?" suggested Hermione.  
  
"No, spells like 'Obliviate' or 'Perturbare' don't work on my kind."  
  
"What about some sort of secrecy charm?" suggested Draper.  
  
Civis nodded, "That could work."  
  
"We could try the counter-charm for the Arcanus Charm, that one used to be quite popular."  
  
"Okay, what's the incantation?" said Harry, taking out his wand.  
  
"'Facere Verum Notus'."  
  
Harry nodded, then he turned to Civis. "May I?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Harry pointed his wand at his companion. "Facere Verum Notus."  
  
Civis quivered for a moment, then shook his head to clear it. "Thank you, Harry. I think I have the information we need."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"The connection is you, Harry."  
  
"Me? How am I connected to Jamie? We're friends but..."  
  
"Apparently, you are more than that. Clayton is not her real name, her father was born George Samuel Potter, son of Tiberius Algernon Potter, and brother to James Tiberius Potter, your father. He was disowned and banished to the Muggle world in the late 1960s when he was identified as a Squib."  
  
Harry was silent for several minutes as he tried to process this new information. "Okay. So Jamie's my cousin, that's good. obviously Anita's a third cousin. But what about Lilith?"  
  
"I believe that her mother's name is Petunia?" Harry nodded, he'd met the woman earlier when McGonagall told her the news via Floo. "You have a descendent called Petunia Portland, a great-grandmother back in the 1800s, the connection is remote, but it is there."  
  
"How does that help us?" asked Ron.  
  
"It gives a connection we can use," Draper told him. "How many other relatives of Harry's are there at Hogwarts at the moment?"  
  
"Six that I can think of..." Civis replied. "The four who've been attacked; plus Rose Brampton, another Gryffindor first year; Annette Fielding, another Ravenclaw second year, and Seeker Scott Summersby of Hufflepuff."  
  
"So if we guard those three. then everyone should be safe?" Harry asked.  
  
"If you're right... yes." confirmed Draper.  
  
"I'll clear it with Albus," said Harry. "Can you get some extra people together? After we get back from the holiday should be time enough, Malfoy's going home for Christmas this year."  
  
"I'll get on it," declared Draper, and headed out of the room, with the other Guardians right behind him. Susan and the Slytherins excused themselves and left too. Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna chatted with Harry and Ginny for a bit, then left too.  
  
Sensing they wanted to be alone, Civis disappeared with a pop.  
  
For a while neither of them said anything, Harry was still reeling from the revelation that Jamie was his cousin, and Ginny was content to just be there for him. Eventually, Harry broke the silence. "Well, this changes things."  
  
Ginny - though she agreed - wasn't sure why Harry thought so. "In what way, Harry?"  
  
"Well, I've finally got what I've wanted for as long as I can remember... a relative, an actual blood relative, that I care for and that cares for me too."  
  
"I think I understand, Harry."  
  
"As much as I love Sirius, Tonks, Professor Lupin, and your family... you are all. borrowed, I guess you'd say. Jamie is mine completely, and that's something that means a lot to me."  
  
"I know, Harry," Ginny told him. "And I'm sure it will to Jamie too. Remember, she's always been alone, she hasn't even had the 'borrowed' family you have."  
  
"No, she hasn't," Harry agreed. "And I'm going to do my best to make sure that she has all the family she wants from now on."  
  
"How?"  
  
"By bringing her home," Harry replied. "To me."  
  
Disengaging from Ginny's hand, he crossed to the fireplace and took a handful of Floo Powder from its pot and tossed it into the fire. "Gryphon's Eyrie!"  
  
After a minute, a head appeared in the fire. "What is it, Harry?"  
  
"Is Sirius around, Antonia?" Harry asked the chalky-skinned energy- sculptor.  
  
"Yeah, do you want me to get him?"  
  
"Please," Harry confirmed. "Professor Lupin and Tonks too if they're with you."  
  
"They are," she told him as disappeared.  
  
Moments later, three heads appeared in the fireplace. "What's up, Harry?" Sirius wanted to know. "Hi, Ginny."  
  
"Hi, Sirius."  
  
"Sirius, I've just found out something that I thought you might want to know. And I thought Professor Lupin and Tonks would like to be on it too."  
  
"Okay. What?"  
  
"I'm not the last of the Potters."  
  
There was a pause, and then Sirius spoke. "Ummm, Harry. Do I need to go and see a Healer? Because. I'm fairly sure I heard you say that you're not the last of the Potters."  
  
"No, Sirius, you heard me correctly."  
  
"How? Who?"  
  
Harry sighed. "It's a long story."  
  
"Perhaps just the short version," suggested Lupin. "And call me Remus, Harry. Or Moony if you prefer."  
  
"Good idea, Prof. Remus," Harry agreed. "Okay, as you know some old wizarding families have a habit of sometimes. disowning people that they disapprove of." All three nodded. "Well, occasionally they go one step further. My grandfather, Tiberius Potter, had another son once, called George. When it turned out he was a Squib, has disowned. I suspect this was a fairly typical reaction." Again the three adults nodded in agreement. "When he was disowned, all memory of his very existence was erased. We managed to find out about by breaking an Arcanus Charm on Civis."  
  
"So is George Potter still alive?" asked Sirius.  
  
"Apparently not," Harry told him. "However, you have met his daughter."  
  
Sirius frowned, then smiled as the answer came to him. "Not. Jamie?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Whoa, that's. not as surprising as I thought it would be."  
  
"That was kinda my reaction," Harry admitted. "But it's still pretty intense."  
  
"Does she know yet?"  
  
"No, I'm going to tell her in the morning."  
  
"Make sure you tell her before anyone else does."  
  
"I will, Remus," Harry assured him. "I really wanted to ask you something. It's connected."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Jamie lives in Muggle orphanage, I wouldn't like that idea even in normal times. But, these times are not normal. I'd feel much better if we could. adopt her, I guess, and have her live with us. Would that be possible?"  
  
"It should be," Sirius replied after a moment. "What do you think, Tonks?"  
  
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Tonks agreed. "I'd check it with Dumbledore first, but I doubt he'll mind. I've a useful contact at the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee, Tilly Moiraill. She's a Muggleborn and has had some dealings with their adoption agencies and those sort of people in the past She should be able to fix it."  
  
"Could she get a decision by Friday?"  
  
"If, someone would. vouch for Jamie's ancestry I think she could probably manage it."  
  
"I'll get my, butler, to send you one by morning."  
  
"Then I'll get on it."  
  
"I take it Jamie'll be coming for Christmas?"  
  
"Yes, if you move Hermione into Ginny's room, Jamie can have hers. If that's okay with you, Gin?"  
  
"Of course, Harry."  
  
"And make sure that rooms are ready for Mark, Anita and Susan on the twelfth floor."  
  
"Will do."  
  
"Has anything much been happening?"  
  
"There have been a few attacks on Muggles," Sirius admitted. "But nothing against wizard or Muggleborn families since the Bones attack."  
  
"How's Helena?"  
  
"Sirena says she'll be out of hospital in time for Christmas."  
  
"Good."  
  
"See you then, Harry. You too, Ginny."  
  
"Bye, Sirius, Tonks, Professor."  
  
The three heads disappeared with a pop and Harry and Ginny were alone again in the dark room.  
  
"I think I'll go tell Jamie now actually," Harry decided after a while.  
  
"Okay, do you want me to come with you?"  
  
Harry shook his head. "I think this is something I need to do by myself. But thanks for being with me. Not just today. over the summer too. It really helped me."  
  
"No problem, Harry. See you in the common room, later?"  
  
"It's pretty late, and what I need to say to Jamie may take a while. I'll see you at breakfast."  
  
"Okay, bye," said Ginny, hopping off Harry's desk and walking out.  
  
Jonas?  
  
«Yes, Harry?»  
  
«Locate Jamie Clayton, please.»  
  
«Give me a minute.»  
  
«No hurry.»  
  
«She's in the Astronomy Tower.»  
  
«A lesson?»  
  
«Confirmed, there are nine students present - all Gryffindors - and one teacher, tagged as 'Serena Sinistra, Astronomy Professor'.»  
  
«Thanks, Jonas. I'll talk to you again soon.»  
  
«Goodbye.»  
  
Harry grabbed his cloak from behind his chair then headed out of the room, reactivating the locking spell on the door as he pulled it too.  
  
Despite the late hour, Harry strode through the corridors with no attempt to hide his presence, after several late night run-in's with Filch since the beginning of term, the crotchety old caretaker knew better than to try and give Harry a detention and now avoided him where possible. He reached the base of the Astronomy Tower about five minutes before the scheduled end of the midnight class, deciding not to disturb the class he found a convenient niche across the hall from the entrance to the Tower and waited.  
  
About seven minutes later, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs as the class was dismissed. As he expected, Jamie and Mark were the last ones out and were absorbed in a conversation with Rose Brampton, another of Malfoy's potential targets.  
  
"Hi, Jamie."  
  
"Harry! What are you doing here?!"  
  
"I have something I need to tell you and I didn't want to wait," Harry told her, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Something private."  
  
Taking the hint, Mark hurried off after the rest of his class dragging Rose with him.  
  
"What's wrong, Harry?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong, Jamie," Harry assured her. "I just found out something which will probably change both of our lives forever."  
  
"Something bad?"  
  
"Surprisingly enough, no," said Harry. "At least I didn't think so. I hope you'll agree."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I'm your cousin."  
  
A/N: Just a point of clarification, Psychomens are born with the talent of Psychomency - a combination of Occulmency and Legilimency - which allows them to read and shield minds, create mind-to-mind links between one or more people, and also use mental energy to attack their enemies. The Psychomens Jonas Johnson is also a Metamorphmagus like Tonks. 


	16. Chapter 16: A First Family Christmas

Chapter Sixteen: A First Family Christmas  
  
When Harry woke on the 20th of December, he did so with a groan, the students who were leaving Hogwarts for Christmas would be doing so this morning, and the Defence Council, plus Jason Draper and his people - who had now been joined by four other friends of his: a Seer called Lillian Zeus; a renegade Psi-Wraith by the name of Corva; Betty Kale of Holyhead Harpies; and the ice-mage Gareth Curran - and Roger Davies and Katie Bell, had spent most of the night going over tragedies for making sure the students would be safe on their way to the train and on the journey to London and he was feeling a little the worse for wear.  
  
Deciding to check-in before he did anything else, he sent out a thought, as he put on his practise clothes and walked to the bathroom. Jonas, I'm awake.  
  
«Acknowledged, Harry,» replied Jonas after a moment. «Full telepathic link with all members of the Defence Council and the Guardians will be available until the Hogwarts Express arrives at Platform Nine and Three Quarters tonight.»  
  
«Understood,» said Harry. He had reached the empty boy's bathroom by this point and he started his exercises. «I'll check in again after breakfast.»  
  
«Agreed.»  
  
After an hour of stretches and shadow-fighting, Harry picked up the five- foot pole he used for staff practice and did another hour of staff-drill. By that time, people were starting to move around, so Harry showered and dressed.  
  
When he arrived down in the common room, Civis, Ginny, Jamie and Mark were waiting for him as usual. After accepting Jamie's morning hug, Harry took her by the hand and headed for the portrait hole. Ginny linked her arm in his other one and Civis and Mark slotted in behind them.  
  
"Are you ready for your first Christmas with family?" Harry asked Jamie, as they headed for the main staircase.  
  
"Harry, finding out I have family. being welcomed into your house for Christmas. It's like a dream come true for me. You have no idea."  
  
"Actually, I do have a pretty good idea," Harry reminded her. "If this Christmas goes off without a hitch, it'll be my first too."  
  
"Then let's hope it does," said Ginny. "I want you both to be happy this year."  
  
"Oh, we will be, Ginny - and so will everyone else, because we're a family."  
  
----  
  
Harry's compartment on the train was rather crowded - Harry, Jamie, Hermione, the Weasleys, Neville, Luna, Mark, Civis and the Bones were all crowded inside. Fortunately, Malfoy had enough sense not to pay a visit, Harry wasn't sure if could be held responsible for his actions at this point. Katie, Roger Davies, and most of the prefects, and half of the available Guardians - Draper, Wilkes, Betty Kale and Corinne Anderson - patrolled the corridors constantly and so everything went according to plan, and the group disembarked from the Hogwarts Express without incident.  
  
Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mundungus Fletcher and Emmeline Vance were waiting for the group on the other side of the barrier and waited until Luna, Neville and Mark had been picked up and then ushered them into two taxis: Harry, Ginny, Jamie and Civis in the front one with Sirius, Tonks and Shacklebolt; with Ron, Hermione and the Boneses in the rear car with Lupin, Vance and Fletcher. They drove off, with Josef Phobus and his colleagues providing an escort as before until they reached Charing Cross and the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
Harry was the last of the students to depart - taking a handful of Floo Powder from Sirius, he stepped into the flames. "Gryphon's Eyrie!"  
  
----  
  
Harry knocked on Jamie's door a few hours later, on his way down to dinner. "Are you settled in okay?"  
  
Jamie looked around, from what Harry could tell she was still unpacking as her trunk was lying open next to her bed. "Hi, Harry. I'm fine. Is it time for dinner?" At Harry's nod she closed her trunk and joined him at the door. "So, who are you expecting?"  
  
"Well, obviously Remus, Sirius and Tonks; Hermione, you. the Weasleys, bar one, Hagrid'll be here in a day or two; the Guardians'll be here - the three that you met when you arrived, plus the one's from the train and two members of the Order: Serina and Helena Wayling, they used to guard the Boneses' house, Helena was injured in the attack that killed Madame Bones and Susan and Anita's parents. Plus, I think Sirius mentioned an old school friend of his has been staying here. I haven't seen her, but she's been brewing the Wolfsbane Potion for Remus since September."  
  
"What's that for? Is he ill?"  
  
"In a manner of speaking." Harry admitted. "Remus is a werewolf. There's no cure for it, but the Wolfsbane Potion allows him to keep his mind when he transforms, so he doesn't become a raging monster."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"Uhh, Harry. I've been meaning to ask. exactly how many Weasleys are there? I mean, I know Ginny and Ron, and I've met Fred and George, but you've mentioned others too."  
  
"Well, there's Mr and Mrs Weasley. and seven children: Ginny, Ron and the twins you know. then there's Percy, you probably won't meet him, certainly not in this house."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because he put his career ahead of his family, and turned against them. He's still sucking up to Fudge, even though he knows that most of the problems we had last year were because of his incompetence and that we were about Voldemort all along."  
  
"I see. Is that it?"  
  
"Fortunately not. There's Charlie, he's working as a dragon tamer and Order ambassador in Romania but he'll be coming home for Christmas this year. Unfortunately, it's too cold for Quidditch. Charlie's supposed to be almost as good a Seeker as I am but I never had a chance to test it. Oh well, maybe he'll visit during the summer."  
  
"There's another one. Bill? I think I met him at Diagon Alley." "You did," Harry confirmed. "He and his girlfriend, Fleur Delacour were escorting us that day."  
  
"Fleur, that sounds. French?"  
  
"Yeah, it is. She didn't go to Hogwarts, we met when she represented her school, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, at the Triwizard Tournament a couple of years ago."  
  
"She was at Ginny's birthday party wasn't she? A lot of the boys couldn't keep her eyes off her."  
  
Harry smiled. "That's because she's one-quarter Veela, they have natural Entrancing powers. Fleur's powers are a lot weaker than those of most full Veelas, she actually has to make an effort to Entrance someone. She got Ron's attention for a while though, back in fourth year, he actually asked to the Yule Ball. She turned him down of course."  
  
"You were talking to her at Ginny's party."  
  
"Yeah, for about a minute," Harry reminded her. "Fleur doesn't affect me. We were just talking."  
  
"About?"  
  
"Me and Ginny, Fleur wanted to know what there was between us. I think Bill might've asked her to find out."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Well, I think she got the answer she wanted."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"I don't know, Jamie," Harry admitted. "For three years after she met him, she had a serious crush on me and hardly said two words to me, then last year she started dated Michael Corner, a Ravenclaw in my year, and we started to be friends. She dumped Corner after the Quidditch Final last year and now. well, I don't know frankly. We're obviously friends, and I enjoy her company. but Fleur and Civis both think there's more to it than that, I think Hermione does too. and I'm starting to think they might be right."  
  
"I don't know anymore about that sort of stuff than you do, Harry. But for whatever it's worth. I think you and Ginny are good together."  
  
"I think so too." Harry agreed. "Well, we'll just have to see what happens."  
  
----  
  
That evening, Harry and the gang met his new 'house-guest' for the first time. Leona White was about the same age as Sirius was, slightly over medium height for a woman and had a lean, toned body - what immediately got your attention however, was the fact that she was almost ghost-like in appearance: she wore long-white robes and had snow-white hair and skin almost complete devoid of colour. When she removed her ivory-rimmed sunglasses, Harry looked into pinkish-red eyes.  
  
She's an albino, Harry thought to himself. I've seen her somewhere before. but where? It wasn't until Leona had greeted Harry and his friends, sat down beside Sirius on the sofa and cracked open a book Harry recognised as being about rare medicinal potions, that he remembered. She was that girl who kept eyeing Sirius in Snape's Pensieve. She was at my parents' wedding too, I think she was the maid-of-honour.  
  
"How's school going, Harry?" Remus asked as he accepted a glass of Firewhiskey from Dixy, one of the house-elves.  
  
"Fine," Harry told him. "I'm very busy - what with classes, DA meetings, meetings with the Defence Council, and Quidditch practice - but I'm managing?"  
  
"How are your classes going?"  
  
"Most of them are fine, Sirius. We've finished the basic stuff for human transfiguration. Boy, am I glad about that! It took me two months to get the hang of growing and shrinking my fingernails. Hair growth control didn't take me long though, I managed that in three weeks, the fastest in the class - Hermione took a month."  
  
"Have you tried changing your hair colour?"  
  
"Yeah, I have. I've decided red is not my colour, and blond just looks terrible. I might give lengthening a try over the holidays though, I managed to do it accidentally - up to a point - often enough when I was a little kid." he said, smiling down at Jamie who was tucked under the crock of his arm. The girl mock-scowled and poked him in the ribs. "Did my dad ever try neatening up his hair that way?"  
  
"No, James actually liked looking odd," Sirius admitted. "Plus, he said it would be more trouble that it would be worth."  
  
"You obviously don't think so," said Harry, referring to Sirius' own hair, which although not as long as it had been when he escaped Azkaban, still brushed his shoulder blades.  
  
"No, I don't," Sirius agreed. "I think you should go for it."  
  
"Me too," Ginny offered. Because there was only enough room for two on the sofa Harry and Jamie were sharing - Leona and the two Marauders having bagged the larger three-seater sofa - she was sitting on a pouffes which she pulled close enough to their sofa that she could lean against Harry's legs.  
  
"They're right, Harry," Bill told him. The long-limbed Curse-Breaker was sharing a large armchair with Fleur. "If it doesn't help, try some Sleekeasy's Hair Potion."  
  
"James didn't trust that that stuff, said it was strictly for girls," Sirius added. "One of Prongs' stranger ideas."  
  
"How's Potions going?" Remus asked. "I know Minerva had to pull a string or two."  
  
"Yes, she did," Harry admitted. "She won't have, but that. Umbridge pushed her into agreeing to do anything to help me to get into Auror training. It's been going okay, Hermione's been helping me as usual."  
  
"You want to be an Auror?" Tonks asked, who was perched on a stool near the door. Unlike most of the adults she had opted for Butterbeer for an after dinner drink, instead of anything a bit stronger. "That's great. I'd be happy to put in a good word for you with the selection panel and I'm sure Kingsley or Mad-Eye would too."  
  
"Thanks, Tonks."  
  
"I'd be happy to give you some advice on Potions too. If that would help?" offered Leona. "Even old Professor Grouse, who taught Potions up until a few years ago, couldn't beat me. I warn you though, I'm not much of a teacher."  
  
"That's okay," Harry assured her. "Even a bit of advice, or recommendations for the books to study would be helpful."  
  
"I'd say Advanced Alchemical Theory, Moste Potente Potions, and a copy of the Liber de Umbra - if you can get one - would probably cover most of what you need to know. Although, the Auror's Apothecary and Flamel's Guide to Obscure Poisons and Counter-Agents would be useful in case they spring any surprises on you."  
  
"Thanks, Leona. Advanced Alchemical Theory is the set book for this year so I've got that, and I've got a copy of the Liber de Umbra too. I've seen Moste Potente Potions in the Library, but there's only one copy so Madam Pince won't let me keep it, plus there's an Anexemplum Spell on it so I can't make a copy."  
  
"I believe we have copies of most of those books in the library," Civis said. "And if I might. your grandfather was - despite his many failings - somewhat of an expert in the art of potion-making. I believe his favourite text was Amasha Al Kema's Treatise on Medieval Toxins, so it might be wise to peruse that volume also."  
  
"Good idea," said Harry, then looked down at Jamie, who was now dosing, her head against Harry's chest. "But I think I'll look for them tomorrow. I think it's past time Jamie was in bed and after being up 'till two am attending a strategy meeting between the Defence Council and the Guardians, I'm ready for bed too." Harry finished his Butterbeer, then woke up his cousin. "Good night, all. Good night, Ginny."  
  
"Good night, Harry."  
  
Jamie staggered to her feet, then Harry helped her up the thirteen flights of stairs to her bedroom. He said goodbye to her at her door. "Night, Jamie."  
  
"Night, Harry. I'll see you at breakfast?"  
  
"What time do you want me to come and get to you?"  
  
"Eight o'clock?"  
  
"Eight's fine," Harry agreed and turned to go into his room two doors down. "Night."  
  
"Good night, Harry. And thank you."  
  
"You're welcome, Jamie. It's good to be appreciated."  
  
----  
  
On Christmas Day, Harry was woken with a start. He scrambled for his glasses and wand. "Jamie?!"  
  
"Happy Christmas, Harry!" said his cousin, with a grin. "I've got presents!"  
  
"Of course you have, Jamie," Harry told her, reaching out and ruffled her hair. "Give me a couple of minutes to get dressed, then we can go downstairs and open them."  
  
"Okay," said Jamie, hopping off his bed. "I'll go get the girls. Civis is getting Ron and the others." she added before slamming the door behind her.  
  
Smiling to himself at his young cousin's joy, Harry got out of bed and dressed - putting on a pair of black jeans, and his dark-green Weasley jumper over a black long-sleeved T-shirt - and then headed out of the room.  
  
When he got down to the large family room on the ground floor, he found it even more crowded than it had been on the evening he arrived: Jason Draper was the only Guardian present but Hagrid, Charlie, his Bulgarian girlfriend Anna Gruenovna, the twins, Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Mad-Eye Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt had joined them.  
  
When everyone was seated, Civis and three of the house-elves went over to the huge Christmas tree that Hagrid had brought down from Hogwarts, and started handing out the presents. Harry was very pleased with his own presents, which included a broomstick carrying bag made specially for the Lightning's longer-than-usual handle from Sirius, Remus and Leona; a framed picture of Harry with the current Quidditch team, Hermione, Jamie, Mark and Civis (who was perched on Harry's shoulder as a crow), from Ginny; a book called Seekers Strike Back - How to be a more aggressive Seeker, from Ron and Hermione; the usual knitted jumper and box of sweets from Mrs Weasley; another book called the Defensive Uses of Dark Magic from Moody, and a large package from the Guardians which contained what looked like two wooden sticks with metal caps at each end and what looked like two cross- shaped metal boomerangs, each in their own carrying pouch.  
  
"What are these?" he asked Jason, holding up the last two items for him to see.  
  
"The sticks can either be used individually as Escrima sticks, or bolted to together. Plus, there are eighteen inches of Argentium-steel blade hidden inside each stick, so they can be used as swords, and they also have in built grappling irons in the screw ends. The 'crosses' are glaives - Japanese boomerangs - and they're razor-sharp. I usually carry a pair myself, I'll show you how to use them later."  
  
"Sounds good," said Harry, and smiled as Jamie unwrapped the long woollen overcoat he'd bought for her with a squeal of delight.  
  
When everyone had finished unwrapping their presents, Civis directed them to the castle's formal dining room, where an impressive breakfast buffet had been set up. Harry decided to have something a little different, and opted for a mug of hot chocolate and a pile of French croissants for breakfast. He was halfway through his meal when Susan came over. "Can I ask you something, Harry?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. What is it?"  
  
"I got an owl just before I came down this morning. From Justin, his family's having a big party on New Year's Eve and."  
  
"And you want to go?" Harry suggested.  
  
"Well, he did invite me. Ernie and Hannah'll be there too."  
  
"Is it at his house?" Harry asked. Susan nodded. "Then that's fine. His house is already under surveillance by the Order. Take someone with you though, just to be on the safe side."  
  
"Helena Wayling said she'd go with me if it was okay with you."  
  
"That's fine then," Harry told her. "Have fun, and send us an owl if you're going to be gone past New Year's Day."  
  
"I will, Harry."  
  
----  
  
"The sky really is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" Ginny suggested, gazing up into the sky from Harry's balcony.  
  
Harry didn't reply for a moment or two, he was enjoying the feeling of Ginny leaning against him, one arm around his waist, just as one of his encircled hers, too much to speak articulately. "Uh-huh."  
  
Ginny turned around and saw that Harry wasn't looking at the stars at all, but at her instead. His green-eyes burned with an emotion that Ginny was fairly sure she'd never seen in them before. "Harry, I."  
  
Harry silenced her by pressing a finger to her lips. "Ginny, in the last six months, a lot of people have asked me how I feel about you. about us. And I think I've probably given each one a slightly different answer. Mostly, because I didn't really understand the question. Now I think I do, and I have my final answer."  
  
"Well, what is it?"  
  
"I think this will tell you," Harry told her with a smile, and cupping her chin in one hand, he bent down.  
  
As the bell in the Gryphon's Eyrie Clock Tower chimed its first bell of the New Year, their lips met and they shared their first kiss.  
  
A/N: I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews and comments so far. Unfortunately, things are going get rather busy for me shortly, as I'm going to be starting University in a couple of weeks and builders are going to be staring work on my family's house soon too. This may mean that new chapters take a while to write, especially as I have written all the chapters that I have notes for at the moment. However, I have got the big battle scene between Harry and Voldemort and some of the other major scene planned out, so I won't be giving up. Anyway, as always please review, and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. 


	17. Chapter 17: Potter v Summersby

Chapter Seventeen: Potter v. Summersby  
  
As she had on Christmas Day, Jamie woke Harry the next morning at what most people would regard as an ungodly hour - five am in the morning - by using the expedient technique of jumping onto his bed while he was still asleep. Harry woke with a start, managed to avoid his instinctive reaction of drawing of wand this time. Rolling over in bed, he glanced at the clock. "Jamie, it's only five o'clock! Ginny and I were talking 'til past one last night. I need some sleep!"  
  
"Jason wants you down in the training room, he says he needs to start showing you how to use your presents," replied the girl, who was dressed in a bottle-green woollen jumper and a black skirt.  
  
Harry sighed, he'd forgotten about the weapons he'd received for Christmas and Draper's promise to teach him how to use them. The young Hit-Wizard's fondness for pre-dawn practice sessions had also slipped his mind. "Okay, tell him I'll be down in ten minutes."  
  
"Do you want me to take the weapons down for you?"  
  
"Sure, they're in my trunk under the cauldron."  
  
Jamie rummaged inside her cousin's trunk for a minute or two - as Harry had unpacked most of his things when he arrived back at the Eyrie, it contained only his cauldron, a few spell books and potions ingredients, plus the three items she was looking for - and when she found them, scampered out of the room.  
  
That girl is far too energetic for this time in the morning, Harry thought to him himself as he searched through his drawers for one of his tracksuits, after a minute or two he found one, as well as a red muscle shirt and put them on, then he completed his outfit with a pair of soft- soled slippers that he'd bought a few months before.  
  
When he arrived in the first floor training room, Draper, Jamie - and to Harry's surprise, Ginny - were waiting for him. Draper was wearing the less formal of the two outfits Harry had seen him in, the crimson muscle T-shirt and green tracksuit bottoms, his black leather jacket was lying in a corner. Ginny on the other hand was wearing a brown Weasley jumper and a skirt.  
  
"What are you doing up so early, Gin?" Harry asked her, removing his tracksuit top and letting it drop on the floor beside her.  
  
"I wanted to watch you, Harry. Besides, I'd already woken up anyway and Hermione wasn't there, so I thought I might as well get up. Jason's been showing me a couple of tricks for the throwing-knife that Sirius and Professor Lupin bought me."  
  
"He told me to call him Remus, Gin," Harry reminded her. "I think you could too. After all, you've probably spent as much time as I have with him, maybe more."  
  
"Okay, I will. If you don't think he'll mind?"  
  
"He won't," Harry promised, bending down so he could kiss his girlfriend. "Wish me luck."  
  
"Good luck, Harry."  
  
Harry straightened up, and accepting his new weapons from Jamie, he walked into the centre of the auditorium. Draper had seen the interaction between the couple but didn't comment. "I think we'll do the sword-stick first," he suggested. "Most of the Escrima and Bojitsu movements you already know will still work for that. You just have to adjust for the different length and the fact that you'll probably be fighting with bladed ends instead of blunt ones." he paused to see if Harry understood what he was saying. Harry - who had buckled the belt that he'd picked to attach the pouches to around his waist - nodded to show he had. "Okay. First, Escrima sparring." Draper told him and removed his own sticks from the holster at his right hip, Harry copied the movement, flicked the catch in the handles to draw out the blades at the same time. "Begin!"  
  
The practise went on for seven rounds, with Harry finally disarming Draper in a round that lasted nearly ten minutes. After that, Draper switched to a long oak pole and he and Harry went through the blocks, strikes and other movements of staff combat. This took another hour, and by this point Harry was just about ready to collapse. However, he decided that a hot shower would probably do the trick instead.  
  
The two girls helped him back upstairs and waited in his room while he showered. When Harry came out of his bathroom about half-an-hour later fully clothed in a pair of jeans, a T-shirt and his new Weasley jumper, all of which were black, the three of them walked back downstairs together. Jamie, sensing a change in her two friends, walked slightly in front of them instead of arm-in-arm with Harry as usual.  
  
Despite the fact it was New Year's Day, most of the residents of Gryphon's Eyrie - temporary or permanent - had already eaten and had begun whatever tasks they had to do and so only Remus, Tonks, Leona, Hermione and a handful of Weasleys - which included Mrs Weasley, Charlie and his girlfriend, but did not include Mr Weasley or the twins - were still eating breakfast.  
  
When Harry had finished his breakfast, he headed out to the stable, it was a little cold and snowy for a ride but he wanted to check how Ravlin had doing while he'd been away. The large, grey stallion was pleased to see him and neighed a loud greeting. Harry unlocked the stable door and entered the stall. "Hi boy, how are you?" asked Harry, smiling as the horse butted him in the chest so hard he nearly knocked him over.  
  
"I think he's fine, Harry," said a voice from two stalls down. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine, Sirius," Harry told his godfather, and left Ravlin's stall, joining him outside the other stall, which belonged to Nimbus, the largest of the Granian geldings in the table.  
  
"A little bird told me that you and Ginny got a little friendly last night?"  
  
"Would the 'little bird' have greyish skin and pointy ears, would he?"  
  
"He would," admitted Sirius. "And...?"  
  
Harry sighed. "We kissed, that's all. But we've decided to give it a go."  
  
"I'm glad for you, Harry," Sirius said. "Have you told anyone else?"  
  
"Ginny's going to tell her parents, and Hermione. I'm going to tell Ron, Jamie already knows... The others'll find out when they need to. You can tell Remus, Leona and Tonks if you want."  
  
"Okay. Just be careful, Harry. The Weasleys like you... but if you hurt her, they'll kill you."  
  
"I know that, Sirius," Harry told him. "We're going to take it slow."  
  
----  
  
A couple of days later, Harry and his friends - accompanied by Sirius, Remus, Leona and Tonks - Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron and in two cars driven Fletcher and Shacklebolt, drove to King's Cross Station.  
  
Neville, Luna, Susan, and Mark Evans met up with the group on the platform and they all crammed into a single compartment. Once the train had begun its journey back to Scotland, Civis produced the presents that he had put a side for Neville, Luna and Mark and handed them over. Neville and Mark also handed over presents that they had bought for their friends (Luna had given magazine subscriptions as her gifts to a few of her friends).  
  
Neville was particularly pleased with Harry's gift of The Botanica Obscura, a book on rare plants, and Luna was happy with the book that Ginny had bought for her, Unbelievable Creatures and Where To Find Them by Draco Salamander.  
  
----  
  
Harry was on his way to Care of Magical Creatures a few weeks later when the next piece of trouble showed itself. He was running late because of a lunchtime Defence Council meeting and was in no mood for a confrontation, so it was with a groan that he noticed Malfoy and his three cronies slip out of the anteroom and move to block his way.  
  
"It's time for you pay, Potter," Malfoy, drawing his wand.  
  
"I'm in a hurry, Malfoy," warned Harry, unconsciously shifting into a fighting posture.  
  
"Then we'll make it quick. Corpus..."  
  
Malfoy finished the spell. Harry's fist shot towards his neck and silenced him with a lightning-fast throat punch, then an elbow-strike smashed him to the ground.  
  
Nott was the next to fall, Harry's right foot snapped out and knocked his wand from His hand, then a reverse roundhouse kick knocked him unconscious.  
  
With both of the primary threats dealt with, Harry decided to deal with Crabbe and Goyle and looked around to try and find them. However, to his surprise they had already been dealt with: Romulus Moon had crept up behind the two thugs and now held them at wand-point.  
  
"Good work, Romulus."  
  
"Thanks, Harry. What do you want me to do with them?"  
  
"You can let them go in a minute," Harry told him. "But first... Crabbe, Goyle, I'll be taking a hundred points from Slytherin for your attack a member of staff. Romulus, you can take twenty-five points for Slytherin for protecting a member of staff."  
  
"Thanks, Harry,"  
  
"You can go now," Harry told Crabbe and Goyle. "I'll tell Hagrid not to expect you."  
  
When the two bruisers has disappeared up the stairs - with Malfoy and Nott slung over their shoulders, Moon turned to Harry, returning his wand his robe pocket. "Do you need me any more?"  
  
Harry shook his head, "Keep in touch."  
  
"Will do."  
  
----  
  
When Harry finally made it down to Hagrid's hut, the lesson had already started, the dozen or so Gryffindors and Slytherins who had opted to continue Care of Magical Creatures to NEWT level were already clustered around a large pen filled with plump-bodied, fluffy-feathered, flightless birds. "Sorry I'm late, Hagrid," Harry said, as he squeezed in between Ron and Neville at the rail. "I had a couple of problems that needed to be attended to."  
  
"Yeh didn' happen ter see Crabbe or Goyle on yer way down did yeh, Harry? They're late too."  
  
"Actually, I did," Harry admitted. "They won't be coming down today. Malfoy and Nott had a little accident, so they're taking them to the Hospital Wing."  
  
"I see," said Hagrid. "We'd best be gettin' started then. These here beasts are called Diricawls. Does anyone know anythin' 'bout them? Hermione?"  
  
"The Diricawl, also known as the Dodo, comes from the island of Mauritius," replied Hermione, sounding - as she still did occasionally - like she was reciting from the textbook. "It is remarkable mainly for its method of escaping danger, if it feels threatened the Diricawl can vanish in a puff of feathers and reappear elsewhere. This ability, which is similar to Apparation, is also shared by the Phoenix."  
  
"Quite right, Hermione," confirmed Hagrid. "Now, Diricawls don't mind a varied diet."  
  
----  
  
"So what sort of accident did Malfoy have this time?" asked Ron, as they walked back to the castle about an hour and a half later. "Stubbed toe? Hand strain?"  
  
"Actually, no," said Harry. "My fist collided with his throat, then my elbow did the same with his clavicle."  
  
Hermione looked shocked. "Harry! You shouldn't have done that. You could get into real trouble."  
  
"Not really, 'Mione. After all, the only reason I hit him was because he was about to use the Dolorus Curse on me."  
  
"Well, that's different."  
  
"I hope Snape agrees," said Harry, as they passed through the Entrance Hall. They dropped off their bags in their dormitories and then returned to the Great Hall.  
  
Neville, Ginny, Jamie, Civis, Mark and Katie Bell joined them at the Gryffindor table, and Harry spent most of the meal retelling the story of Malfoy's 'accident' which Jamie in particular enjoyed hearing. "I think the snow will probably melt soon," said Harry. Katie and Ron both nodded in agreement. "As soon as it does, I want to start training again. The match against Hufflepuff is in three weeks and last year's team lost against them. Okay, it was the slimmest of losses, and we've got a much better team this year. but I don't want to take any chances. McGonagall'll have my hide if we lose the Cup and I won't be too pleased either."  
  
"When do you want to start?" asked Katie.  
  
"Well, the DA meets tonight and again on Wednesday. if the pitch is clear, what about Friday? Is everyone free?"  
  
"I think so," said Katie. Ron and Ginny nodded in agreement.  
  
"Okay then, let's do it."  
  
----  
  
The next three weeks passed in a blur of classes, practice sessions and meetings and soon it was time for Gryffindor to take on Hufflepuff again. Harry decided to play the same line-up as he had for the Slytherin game and within fifteen minutes of Madam Hooch starting the game, it was obvious to everyone that this would be a very different game to the one the year before.  
  
"Ginny Weasley snatches the Snitch from Hufflepuff Captain Smith, and she's heading for the goal. she dodges Stebbins, ducks a Bludger hit her way by James or Victor Brock - I can't tell which - and winds up for another shot at the centre goal. Hufflepuff Keeper Kevin Whitby moves to intercept, but Chaser Whisp of Gryffindor snatches the Quaffle out of mid-air and sends it flying towards the left-hand goal. He scores! Gryffindor lead by eighty points at one hundred-and-thirty to fifty. Katie Bell takes possession for Gryffindor."  
  
Harry gave Ginny and Whisp a thumbs-up, then executed a fast loop-the-loop to avoid an errant Bludger which David captured a moment later and sent flying towards the Hufflepuff end.  
  
"Keeper Whitby takes a Bludger to the stomach and goes down hard. Katie Bell of Gryffindor, slips another one through and Gryffindor are now leading 140-50. Hufflepuff are in possession, Wayne Hopkins with the Quaffle. passes to Captain Zacharias Smith."  
  
Harry glanced around the stadium, trying to locate the Snitch. Although Gryffindor had a strong lead, Harry knew that if Summersby saw the Snitch before he did and managed to catch it, they would probably lose.  
  
"Smith reverse passes to Steve Stebbins of Hufflepuff. intercepted by Chaser Whisp of Gryffindor, he passes it Ginny Weasley. who shots and scores!"  
  
Ginny had just scored for the sixth time, taking Gryffindor to 170-50, when Harry spotted a glint of gold near the staff stand. Bending low over the Lightstrike, Harry shot forward and seconds later the Snitch's wings were beating against his closed fist.  
  
"Gryffindor wins!"  
  
A/N: Please review. 


	18. Chapter 18: Justice is Served

Chapter Eighteen: Justice is Served  
  
When the group reached the village, Ron and Hermione disappeared into a wizarding art gallery, while Neville and Luna headed into Broadmoor's Botanicals again and Susan excused herself to join a group of sixth and seventh-year Hufflepuffs but promised to meet them in the Three Broomsticks for a drink later. Left alone, Harry and Ginny stood for a moment looked around, not quite sure what to do.  
  
"I need to pop into the Post Office," said Harry. "They're holding a package for me from Quality Quidditch Supplies. Will you come with me? I'll only be a minute."  
  
"It's not a problem, Harry."  
  
True to his word, Harry was only in the Post Office for a few minutes. When he came out, clutching a medium-sized, rather squishy, parcel, the couple linked arms and walked up the road to Honeydukes' - where Harry bought some chocolate - then continued on to Gladrags Wizard Wear.  
  
"Maybe you'll stop stealing my socks now," Harry suggested with a grin when they leave the clothes shop about ten minutes later.  
  
"I doubt that, but thanks for the socks anyway, they should be nice and warm."  
  
"Would you like to see Jedrec's Jewel Emporium?" Harry asked. "I might get you something for Valentine's Day if you do."  
  
"I'd love too, Harry," Ginny said. "My cat necklace is beautiful." She touched the charm, which hung around her neck as it had almost constantly since Christmas Day.  
  
Nodding, Harry hooked his arm in hers and steered her down Faber's Lane. As they entered the shop, Harry noticed that the shop next door was a rather expensive weapons store called Schmied's Swords. I must have a look in there some time, I need a polishing kit for my weapons.  
  
Jedrec was behind the counter as usual. "Hello again, Mr Potter. Another Weasley?"  
  
"Yes Jedrec, my girlfriend Ginny."  
  
"Ah, yes. I see the necklace now," said Jedrec. "Are you buying today?"  
  
"If Ginny sees something she likes."  
  
"Well, in that case... what can I show you, Miss Weasley?"  
  
Ginny looked up at Harry. "Can I have some earrings?"  
  
"You can have anything you want, love," Harry told her. "You deserve the best."  
  
"Coming right up," said the goblin. Ducking under his counter, he produced two trays of gold earrings - one with inset rubies, the other with inset emeralds - most of which had a cat theme in one way or another. "How about one of these?"  
  
Ginny bent down to get a better look at them, and fingered one or two pairs on each tray. After about twenty minutes, she finally decided on a pair of cat's-head studs with minute rubies in the eyes. Harry handed over twenty Galleons (Jedrec had initially quoted the price as thirty-five Galleons but Harry broke him down) and they left the shop.  
  
"Do you mind if we go here, Gin?" Harry asked, indicating the shop next door. Ginny shook her head and the couple walked inside.  
  
Unlike the jewellery store, which was brightly lit and filled with glass display counters and a bright cream-and-white paint scheme, the sword shop was panelled in dark wood and dimly lit. When the shop-owner came out of the back room, it was obvious to both of them why: Schwartz Schmein was a stocky, black-haired, black-beard dwarf. "Vat can I do for you?" he asked, in a gruff voice thickened by an accent that reminded Harry a little of Viktor Krum.  
  
"I need cleaning kits for a sword-stick and a pair of glaives," Harry told him.  
  
"Vat are zey made off?"  
  
"Argentium steel. From the Avalon Armoury."  
  
The dwarf grunted with satisfaction. "Good workmanship zat is, dwarf workmanship, almost as gut the blades I make. Do you haff zem vith you?"  
  
"I have the glaives with me, the sword-stick is back at Hogwarts."  
  
"Can I see zem?" Schmein asked. "It will help me decide vot to recommend."  
  
Harry nodded, and reaching under his coat, unsheathed the weapon. Schmein took and turned it around a few times, examining it from all angles. "Very nice, very nice. I see Klinge Silbewerker made zis, he ist von off ze best. You must haff paid a lot off gold for zem? Ja?"  
  
"They were Christmas presents," admitted Harry. "A cleaning kit?"  
  
"Ja, ja. Von moment, bitte."  
  
After a minute or two searching, the swordsmith found what he was looking for and slapped the small wooden box on the main counter. "Zis should be fine for you," he said to Harry. "Does the sword-stick have zis maker's mark also?" he asked, pointing out a stylised KS at the base of one of the glaive's blades.  
  
Harry nodded, and took back his glaive, tucking it into its holster at his belt. "How much?"  
  
"Forty Galleons to you, Herr Potter."  
  
"How did you." began Harry, then he sighed. "Never mind. Here's your money."  
  
"Danke," said the dwarf, accepting the handful of coins with what could have been a grimace - though Harry it was probably an attempt at a smile. "Come again."  
  
"We will," Harry assured him. "Would this kit work for a Fairbourne?"  
  
"Ja, if it is Silbewerker's vork."  
  
Harry glanced at Ginny, who nodded. Satisfied, the couple left the shop.  
  
----  
  
Twenty minutes later, they entered the Three Broomsticks. Neville, Luna and Susan were already seated at one of the larger booths along the wall. "Why don't you go and sit down, Gin? I'll get the drinks."  
  
Ginny nodded and headed over to their friends' table, stopping briefly to say hello to Professor McGonagall and her group of staff who were seated at their usual table.  
  
Harry watched her for a moment, then smiled to himself and turned back to the bar. "Two Butterbeers please, Rosmerta," he asked when the woman stopped in front of him.  
  
"Coming right up, Mr Potter."  
  
Harry handed over the required sum of silver, took the two mugs of warm, frothy liquid and headed over to his friends. Setting down the two mugs on the small table, he slid in beside Ginny, putting his arm across her shoulder and drawing her in close.  
  
"Ginny was just telling us about her Valentine's gifts, Harry," Susan said. "They're really beautiful."  
  
"I wish you won't be so generous, Harry," moaned Neville. "You're showing the rest of us up."  
  
Harry laughed, "Don't worry Nev, I'm sure whenever you get Luna something, it has a much meaning for the two of you as any piece of jewellery."  
  
Luna nodded and the five of them chatted comfortably until Ron and Hermione arrived about twenty minutes later. As Susan moved round to make room for them, Harry eased himself out of the booth. "Butterbeer?"  
  
Ron and Hermione both nodded, Ron slightly reluctantly - he was still a little uncomfortable with the idea that his best friend had a lot more money than he did. However, when Harry returned a few minutes later with a tray full of Butterbeer, he realised that having a rich friend had some advantages.  
  
They stayed in the bar until it was almost time for dinner, then they headed up to the castle in a group. At the Entrance Hall, Susan split off from the others and headed down the dungeon stairs to her common room, while the others headed upstairs with Luna breaking off from the Gryffindors when they reached the seventh floor, she headed west while they headed east.  
  
When they entered the common room, Harry pulled Ginny into a dark corner of the room out of prying eyes and kissed her. When they broke apart he smiled. "I had a great day today, Ginny."  
  
"So did I, Harry," Ginny told him. "I'll see you at dinner, okay?"  
  
Harry nodded, and watched as his girlfriend disappeared up the girls' staircase. He touched his lips and smiled. Harry Potter, you are a lucky man. A very lucky man.  
  
----  
  
«Harry! Harry!»  
  
Harry jerked out of his bed on March 1st, «What is it, Jonas?»  
  
«We have a Priority-Three Emergency, another student is down. Rendezvous with the rest of the Defence Council at the Hufflepuff Quidditch changing room.»  
  
«I'm on my way,» Harry told him as he leapt out of bed and grabbed his clothes.  
  
----  
  
Ten minutes later, Harry arrived at the Quidditch pitch to see Madame Pomfrey, Professor Sprout and Jason Draper float a limp form in a canary- yellow Quidditch uniform up towards the castle. Most of the rest of the Defence Council - Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and Dr Chrystan - were standing outside the changing room, waiting for Harry.  
  
«What's the situation, Albus?»  
  
«The victim, Scott Summersby, was found half-an-hour ago by Mr Smith,» answered the headmaster. «Meredith and Jonas are checking the scene now, and Healer Malone and Mr Draper will be checking over Mr Summersby.»  
  
«This is Jason Draper on the telepathic link.»  
  
«Good ahead, Mr Draper.»  
  
«We have something, but I'm not sure how much use it will be,» Draper continued. «I'll meet you in your office. Thomas and Professor Sprout will stay with Summersby.»  
  
«Very well,» said Dumbledore. «Filius, Rex, could you please remain here for the moment? Minerva, Severus, Harry, please follow me.»  
  
----  
  
"What have you got for us, Mr Draper?" asked Dumbledore a few minutes later when the five of them were gathered in Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Just these," said Draper, and took out a Muggle evidence bag from his pocket, inside were a couple of chips of wood. "Ebony, and from the look of them I'd say they came from a broomstick."  
  
"Ebony is not used very often for broomsticks," Flitwick pointed out. "It's too expensive."  
  
"Harry, your thoughts?"  
  
"Filius is right, Albus, ebony isn't used very often, the only company that uses it is the Nimbus Racing Broom Company, and even then only on the Two Thousand and One."  
  
"What about your broomstick, Potter?" asked Snape. "That's not a Nimbus Two Thousand And One."  
  
"Correct Severus it is not," agreed Harry. "But it isn't made of ebony either. The Lightstrike is made of rowan coated in a paste of black diamonds, not polished ebony."  
  
"Thank for that clarification, Harry," said Dumbledore. "So we know what broomstick it came from, but how does that help us?"  
  
"The Nimbus series are professional standard brooms, Albus," Harry reminded him. "Only a Quidditch player would fork the money for one."  
  
"You may be right, Harry. However, we have over thirty Quidditch players at Hogwarts so we need to narrow it down."  
  
"Well, none of the Gryffindor team flies Nimbus's at all. Katie flies a Cleansweep Six; Ginny and Wilhelm fly Firebolts; Ron and Harvey have Cleansweep Eights, David and Shaw have Thunderbursts, and Kirke, Sloper and Sharon are using Comet Two-Sixty's. And I have the Lightstrike. Plus Oliver Wood's old Cleansweep Six is locked up in our changing room. I'm not sure about most of the Hufflepuff team but Summersby flies a Cleansweep Seven and Zacharias Smith has a Nimbus Two Thousand. As for the Ravenclaw team. Cho flies a Comet Two-Sixty and the rest of the team use Cleansweeps as far as I know?" he glanced at Flitwick, who nodded. "So, we come back to."  
  
"Slytherin."  
  
"Yes, Severus, we do," agreed Dumbledore. "Are you sure it is one of them, Harry?"  
  
" Almost entirely. I know the other members of the Hufflepuff team. most of them are in the DA. It's got to be a Slytherin, I'll stake my job on it."  
  
"Indeed? How do you propose to proceed?"  
  
"Question Malfoy, if it is a Slytherin, he'll know. And I think I can get it out of him."  
  
"Potter."  
  
"Do nothing illegal, Harry."  
  
"I won't, Albus," Harry assured him. "But, I will find out what he knows."  
  
----  
  
Harry contacted Jason Draper telepathically and asked him to escort Draco Malfoy to his office at one o'clock that afternoon, and then headed for the dungeons. Entering the kitchens, he located Dobby and slipped a small glass vial containing a clear liquid into the house-elf's bony hand. "Could you make sure a little of this gets in Malfoy's goblet at lunchtime? At least two drops but no more than five, and don't tell anyone, okay?"  
  
"Of course, Harry Potter sir, Dobby is glad to help," Dobby assured him. "No-one will know sir, Dobby promises."  
  
Harry nodded, "Good, Civis or I will be down for the vial by tomorrow morning."  
  
Dobby nodded vigorously and returned to his work. After a minute or two, Harry left the kitchens and hurried up to the ground floor. The students were still eating breakfast and Harry slid into his place at the Gryffindor table between Ginny and Jamie. "Sorry I'm late, I had one or two security matters that I needed attend to."  
  
"Anything serious?" asked Ginny.  
  
"You could say that, another student was attacked and he's in a bad way. Professor Sprout, Madame Pomfrey and some of the others are working on him on. Grubbly-Plank'll be covering Herbology and Albus is going to get Leona to come down and cover Snape's classes."  
  
"Who was it?"  
  
"Scott Summersby, the Hufflepuff Seeker."  
  
"Will he be okay?"  
  
"Not in time for the match against Slytherin in two weeks."  
  
"Now that's timing's not at all suspicious," commented Jamie, sarcastically. "Is it?"  
  
"Na," agreed Harry. "But I think I've persuaded Snape that the problem's coming from his House at least. He's also agreed that I can have a quiet word with Malfoy, just in case he knows something he, err. forget to mention?"  
  
"Good work, Harry," said Jamie. "I knew you'd solve it."  
  
"Thanks, I wasn't sure I would myself," he admitted. "Hermione?"  
  
Ron and Hermione were sitting opposite Harry, Hermione looked up. "Yes, Harry?"  
  
"Do you know what we'll be doing in Transfiguration today?"  
  
"Finishing off hair transfiguration spells, I think."  
  
"Well, I've already managed that," pointed out Harry, brushing his hands through his now shoulder-length - and somewhat controlled - hair. He had mastered the Hair-Lengthening Charm over the holidays with help from Sirius and Draper. "What's next?"  
  
"Bone growth, I think."  
  
Harry winced, "That's sounds painful."  
  
Hermione nodded, "According to Katie, it is."  
  
"I hardly wait."  
  
----  
  
Harry ate a quick lunch that day, and hurried up to his office. After settling himself down, he spoke. «Jonas, Malfoy will be coming to my office shortly. Standby.»  
  
«Standing by.»  
  
At precisely one o'clock, there was a knock on Harry's door. "Come in."  
  
After a few seconds, Draper and Corinne entered dragging Malfoy, Corinne pushed the blond Slytherin into a chair and stood back. Malfoy looked like he was about object to the rough handling, but a glare from the green-eyed woman changed his mind.  
  
"You can go, guys," Harry told them. "Malfoy and I are going to have a little chat."  
  
The two Guardians nodded and left, closing the door behind them.  
  
"If you think I going to." started Malfoy, rising out of his seat.  
  
"Sit down, Malfoy," said Harry, when Malfoy didn't he pulled out his wand. "Incarcerous!"  
  
Ropes shot from his wand and bound Malfoy to his chair. "Know where were we?"  
  
"If you think you can get away with this, you're wrong, Potter!" snared Malfoy. "My family has friends in high places!"  
  
"I doubt that, Malfoy," said Harry. "If you did, then your father would probably not be rotting in Azkaban."  
  
Malfoy sputtered indignantly for a minute or two then fell silent. "Now, I expect you're wondering why I've asked you to come here."  
  
"You didn't ask me, Potter. You had two of your goons drag me here!" Malfoy pointed out.  
  
"If you say so, Malfoy," conceded Harry. "The Defence Council and I have determined that the recent attacks on younger students have been carried out by one or more Slytherins. Is there anything you might have. forgotten to mention about the attacks that you would like to share with me?"  
  
"No," said Malfoy, whose voice was starting to slur a little. "Only that they deserved what they got. Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers all of them."  
  
Harry stiffened at the comment, but didn't react. "It was pretty clever the way the first three attacks were covered up, whoever organised them was pretty smart. They fouled up on the last one though, one of the Guardians spotted them."  
  
Malfoy smirked. "Well of course they were spotted, those two idiots are too stupid to tie their own shoelaces without help!"  
  
"Crabbe and Goyle?" queried Harry.  
  
"Of course it was Crabbe and Goyle, Potter!" said Malfoy. "Who else could it have been?"  
  
"Good point," admitted Harry. "What about the other three attacks? They managed them okay."  
  
"The only reason they went off without a hitch is that I told them exactly what to do. Nott and I had to show them with that brat Clayton."  
  
"Thanks for that, Malfoy."  
  
All of a sudden, Malfoy seemed to come to his senses. "What did you do to me, Potter?!"  
  
"Oh, just a few drops of Verboloserum in your juice goblet at lunch," Harry told him. "Dobby was happy to help."  
  
"You can't hurt me, Potter," Malfoy snarled. "You can't prove anything. Only you heard what I said!"  
  
Harry clucked, "Oh, can't I?" he asked and reached behind him. Taking a small mirror from the shelf opposite he turned it so that Malfoy could see it. "Say hello to Jonas Johnson, he's an Inquisitor in the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol, and he's been recording everything that you've been saying."  
  
At this the blond Slytherin uttered several choice words that Harry knew that Hermione and Mrs Weasley definitely won't approve of and tried to break free. "Jonas, could you ask Jason and Corinne to come back and make sure Albus, McGonagall hear your recording immediately."  
  
"Of course, Harry."  
  
----  
  
Ten minute later, Harry and Malfoy - accompanied by Draper and Corinne - arrived at the base of the stairs up to Dumbledore's office. Harry gave the password ("Blood pops.") and they went up. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and Sprout were already waiting for them, and by the looks of things had been there for some time.  
  
"Sit down, Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore told the Slytherin, from where Harry was standing next to Fawkes, Dumbledore looked more serious than he ever had - apart from possibly when he told him about the Prophecy. "I cannot impress upon you the seriousness of the acts which you have committed. Were you appearing before the Wizengamot on criminal charges, it is likely that you would be sent to Azkaban for a considerable period of time." he paused for a minute to let this sink in. "However, you are not and that must be taken into consideration. Professor Snape and I have agreed that it is no longer appropriate for you to serve as either a House Prefect or as your House's Captain of Quidditch, therefore I must ask that you surrender your badges and cease all activities concerned with same. That includes your employment of Mr Bern as Slytherin team coach. Furthermore, one hundred points will be taken from Slytherin and you will be suspended for a period of two months at which time you will be permitted to return, any further transgressions will result in your expulsion."  
  
Harry smiled, This is good, this is really good.  
  
But Dumbledore hadn't finished. "Messrs Crabbe and Goyle will be suspended for a period of one month, and another seventy-five points each will be taken from Slytherin for their part in the affair. Mr Nott will also receive a one month suspension, and fifty points will be taken from Slytherin on his behalf."  
  
Harry glanced at Snape. The expression on his face was one of carefully hidden rage and Harry was glad that he didn't have him for Potions until Monday.  
  
----  
  
When Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room, most of his friends were clustered around Ron, who was busily unwrapping his birthday presents. Glancing over the pile of already opened presents, Harry could see that his best friend had already opened the signed Chudley Cannons robes that he had left with Jamie to give to him.  
  
He waited until Ron noticed him and looked up. "Ron, I've got another present for you."  
  
A/N: I'm sorry it's been such a long wait for the next chapter, and I'm very grateful to all of you who have reviewed in the interim, there are just a few points that I need to deal with: One or two people, namely Intent on Goodness of FanFiction.Net and GreyWolf have been unhappy about some of my ideas and characterizations, all I can say to this is that I try to write the characters as close to how I see them as I can and that if they don't like my story they don't have to read it; also Temporary Insaniity suggested that my description of glaives was inaccurate, if you follow this link - htm/knives_fantasy_movie_knives.htm it should be fairly obvious that while glaives may not look very like boomerangs, they are certainly a similar sort of weapon and not a long weapon as he/she suggests; and finally Sock- stealing!Ginny belongs to Imogen of GryffindorTower.Net and is being used with out permission. The next chapter will be up as soon as I can manage it, probably in a week to ten days. Keep reviewing! 


	19. Chapter 19: School Without Malfoy

Chapter Nineteen: School Without Malfoy  
  
"Did you check out the Slytherin practices like I asked you to?" Harry asked Civis as they waited in the Gryffindor changing room a week later for the rest of the team to join them. As usual, Ginny, Jamie and Mark were with them.  
  
The hobgoblin chuckled, "Oh yeah, I checked it out all right."  
  
"And?"  
  
"I never thought that there could be a more hopeless team than the one Slytherin already had, but there is, and this is it," he replied. "Bletchley, the Keeper, has taken over as Captain, and as far as I can tell he doesn't have even the most basic grasp of strategy; Joanna Dorny and Millicent Bulstrode, the new Beaters, can't tell the difference between a Quaffle and Bludger, and their aim, when they manage to hit the right ball. let's just say if they were trying to hit the opposition Keeper, they'd probably commit a Bumphing penalty by hitting someone facing the centre circle. As for Mandy Flint, the new Seeker. she might be able to handle a Bluebottle or Ron old Shooting Star, but she certainly can't manage a Nimbus Two Thousand And One, plus she wears glasses as thick as bottle bottoms and she still has problems reading the boards in class. The only one with any talent is Tracey Davis, the reserve Chaser, and she doesn't seem to. umm. understand the meaning of teamwork."  
  
"She is a Quaffle-hogger then?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, she is," Covis confirmed. "Hufflepuff'll make mincemeat out of them. Owen Cauldwell, Summersby's replacement is too good, he's got a good set of eyes and he's pretty sharp with a broom. He isn't as good as you or Charlie Weasley, or Ginny, but he'll run rings round Flint and he could give the other Seekers I've seen a run for their money too."  
  
"Well, that's not our problem," Harry told him.  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"Ravenclaw could be a problem for us though," Ginny pointed out.  
  
"Ginny's right," agreed Civis. "They have been practicing a lot and it shows. You'll have to watch out for Chang of course, and Roger Davies has managed to pick up some pretty fancy tricks I've not seen used in professional Quidditch in fifty years. And not even the biggest daredevils, like your dad, thought about trying them here."  
  
"Do they work?" Harry asked him.  
  
"Sometimes, but good solid defending should see you through. They were abandoned for a reason."  
  
At that moment, they heard some of the other members of the team outside, so Civis transformed, turning back into his crow form.  
  
Once the rest of the team had gathered in the changing room, Harry gave them a brief talk about tactics for the upcoming Quidditch Final and then they headed out onto the pitch. They had a good practice and after showering and putting on clean robes, they headed up to the castle.  
  
"Does anyone want to go and watch the Slytherin-Hufflepuff match on Saturday?" Harry asked them as they climbed up the stairway leading to Gryffindor Tower.  
  
Neither the Beaters or the two reserve players were interested, and Katie and Hermione - who as usual had been watching Ron practice - pleaded too much homework so Harry turned to his other best friend. "Ron?"  
  
"Hermione's right, Harry. I've still got eighteen inches on that essay on the Praessus Oslongitus Charm for McGonagall, and it's due in next Tuesday."  
  
"We'll be there," Jamie told him on behalf of herself and Mark.  
  
"I'll come too, Harry," Ginny told him. "If you help me with my Charms homework on Sunday."  
  
"Of course I will, Gin," Harry assured her. "I'd be happy to help anyway." Then he bent down and brushed his lips across hers. When he looked up again he noticed Ron had a slightly stricken look on his face. "What's wrong, Ron?"  
  
"It's just. I'm happy for the two of you and all, but. seeing my best friend and my little sister snogging, takes a bit off getting used too, that's all."  
  
"Well, then I guess you know what I feel like when you and Hermione do it."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Ron, perplexed.  
  
Hermione sighed, "Ron, just when I think you might have acquired a little emotional sensitivity, you change my mind. Obviously Harry's saying that his feelings for me are similar to the way you feel about Ginny."  
  
"Oh, right. I get it," said Ron, shaking his head a little. "So do we have to keep everything private?"  
  
"I'm fine with you and Hermione kissing in public, if you'll put up with me and Ginny doing it," said Harry. "Mandragora."  
  
The Fat Lady's portrait swung open and the group of Gryffindor's were able to clamber into the common room.  
  
----  
  
When Harry drifted back into awareness on Saturday morning he was greeted by two intriguing sensations: one, his back was a little stiff as he appeared to have fallen asleep on one of the common room sofas; and two, the warm weight that he had his arms wrapped around was certainly not a blanket, in fact unless he was very much mistaken it was a female body belonging to - Harry fervently hoped - his girlfriend Ginny.  
  
Cracking his eyes open, he confirmed both his initial suspicions. Smiling to himself, he flexed his back muscles a little to loosen them up and then closed his eyes again, it was still dark and he figured he might as well make the most of the situation.  
  
If he had been thinking straight - a rather unusual thing for people to do at two am in the morning, admittedly - he would have realised that this probably wasn't the best idea, but he wasn't thinking straight, so this fact did not occur to him.  
  
However, it made itself rather obvious a few hours later, most of the early risers either didn't notice the couple, or were smart enough not to do anything about it. But Ronald Weasley - as Hermione Granger had pointed out numerous times - was not known for his good judgement or intelligence in such matters.  
  
"POTTER, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE PLAYING AT?!!"  
  
Harry started out of his peaceful slumber, and instinctively tightening his gasp around Ginny. This had the effect of waking Ginny from her own slumber. "What. where... Uhh, Harry?"  
  
"Yes love?"  
  
"Why are we in the common room?"  
  
This question appeared to enrage Ron even further, and he lunged at the two of them. Whether he was intent on doing Harry bodily injury or just getting Ginny away from him, no-one one ever found out, for the question as to whether the Bat-Bogey Hex could be done without the use of a wand was answered seconds later.  
  
It could be.  
  
The half-a-dozen or so students present froze, and stayed that way until Katie appeared at the bottom of the girls' staircase five minutes later. "What's all the racket about?"  
  
Harry sighed, "Ginny and I feel asleep while we were studying last night. Ron found us about five minute ago, and over-reacted."  
  
"I see," said Katie, peering at Ron. "Bat-Bogey Hex?"  
  
Ginny nodded. "I've never done it without a wand before though."  
  
"I suppose we'd better get him to Madame Pomfrey," said Katie.  
  
"Probably a good idea," agreed Harry.  
  
"I'll go and get Hermione," said Natalie McDonald, who had been watching the whole incident from a study table near the window.  
  
"That's another good idea," said Harry. "I think Ginny and I should probably get changed and head down to breakfast. If you can manage, Katie?"  
  
Katie nodded, and using the Mobilicorpus Charm, guided Ron's unconscious form towards the portrait hole. A slightly shaken first-year opened it for her and she passed out into the corridor.  
  
"It going to be a looong day," predicted Harry, with a groan.  
  
Ginny did not disagree.  
  
----  
  
"You'd best stay clear of Ron for a day or two," Harry told Jamie when he joined her at the Gryffindor table twenty minutes later. "Potter isn't exactly his favourite name right now."  
  
"Why, what did you do now?"  
  
"Well, do you remember Ginny and I were still studying when you went up to bed?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, we fell asleep on one of the sofas."  
  
"And Ron over-reacted as usual, I suppose."  
  
"Yeah, he did," Harry confirmed. "Ginny had to put a Bat-Bogey Hex on him to get him to calm him down. So he won't be in a very good mood when he gets out later on this morning."  
  
"Thanks for the heads up," said Jamie, digging into her breakfast.  
  
----  
  
"Good morning, everyone. And welcome to the first game of Quidditch season." announced Euan Abercrombie. "Today, the second placed team - Hufflepuff - will take on Slytherin!"  
  
"There has been one change to the Hufflepuff line-up since the last game, so I present... Brock, Brock, Whitby, Cauldwell, Hopkins, Stebbins, and... Smith!"  
  
"And with the removal of Draco Malfoy as Captain and four key players suspended it is rather different Slytherin line-up today... Bulstrode, Dorny, Flint, Baddock, Davis, Pritchard and the interim Captain... Bletchley!"  
  
"Who's going to win, do you think Harry?" Jamie asked, as Madam Hooch started the game. Hufflepuff immediately gaining possession as Zacharias snagged the Quaffle and shot towards the Slytherin goal.  
  
"Hufflepuff definitely," Harry told her. "You heard Civis, Slytherin are a mess."  
  
"Zacharias Smith scores for Hufflepuff, and they're still in possession. Hopkins with the Quaffle, he dodges Bulstrode and passes it back to Stebbins... Stebbins shoots, and Hufflepuff are now twenty points ahead."  
  
Play continued for another hour without any sign of the Snitch, and Hufflepuff's lead increased to forty points. By this point Harry, who was never a fan of Slytherin, was actually beginning to feel sorry for them - they had managed to score four times, however as one of them had been an own goal by Joanna Dorny who had again mistaken the Quaffle for a Bludger, they were forty points down rather than twenty.  
  
"I wonder how much longer this is going to go on?" wondered Ginny, as Hopkins scored again to bring Hufflepuff's score to eighty points to Slytherin's thirty.  
  
"I don't know," Harry admitted. "As long as it does."  
  
In fact the game took over four-and-a-half hours, and Hufflepuff was a hundred-and-ninety points ahead when Cauldwell finally caught the Snitch, finishing the match with the score at 340-60 in his team's favour.  
  
"That has to be the worst defeat they've ever had," Harry mused as they left the stadium.  
  
"Probably," agreed Ginny with a grin. "That's almost as bad as the mauling Transylvania gave England at the last World Cup."  
  
"Yeah, that was bad," Harry agreed. "Four hundred to twenty, wasn't it?"  
  
"Three hundred and ninety to ten," Ginny corrected him.  
  
"That, was bad."  
  
"Yes, it was. Hopefully they'll do better next year."  
  
"It's possible, but I doubt it, Harry."  
  
"Me too, love," agreed Harry. "Me too."  
  
----  
  
Potions had become a weekly nightmare for Harry since Malfoy's departure, Snape begun returned to plaguing him at every possible opportunity, and as the potions got more and more difficult, it was only Hermione's help that kept Harry in the 'O' grade band.  
  
"Potions was a nightmare," Harry told Ginny as he sank into his seat at the Gryffindor table. "Just when I thought we were getting somewhere, he decides to hold a grudge for me reporting Malfoy and his cronies."  
  
"At least your other lessons are more fun," Ginny pointed out.  
  
"DADA's a bit hairy at the moment too," Harry groaned. "It wasn't much fun fighting the Bogarus Curse earlier, the Patronus Charm is much harder to conjure if it doesn't have specific target. Hagrid got something new for us today too, and I've got a sneaking suspicion that they won't be as harmless as Fwoopers, Clabberts or Diricawls."  
  
"Probably not," agreed Ginny. "But at least Civis'll be with you now."  
  
"Yeah, that's a good thing," Harry agreed, scrapped up the last bits of his lunch.  
  
----  
  
As it turned out, Harry's fears were in part proven correct, the new creatures - the overgrown, talking ferrets known as Jarveys - weren't as harmless as Clabberts or Nifflers, but were easy enough to handle compared to hippogriffs or Blast-Ended Skrewts, so it was a rather more cheerful Harry that sat down between Ginny and Jamie at dinner two hours later.  
  
"How was Herbology, Gin?"  
  
"Fine, we were pruning Sprout's mimbulus mimbletonia, Neville's been too busy to take care of them,"  
  
"That's pretty tame, she's got us cultivating Devil's Snare," said Katie, from her seat a couple of chairs down. "I think she wants to plant it along the border of the Forest."  
  
Harry nodded to himself, Sprout had suggested doing just that at the last Defence Council meeting, an idea which he had only reluctantly agreed to. "Is everyone okay for tonight's practice session?"  
  
Everyone agreed that they were and Ginny added that Sharon Skelton had received a Firebolt for her birthday at the weekend.  
  
"That'll be good," said Harry. "It'll give us a strong line-up up front next year."  
  
Ginny nodded and followed Harry as he got to his feet and headed for the exit, with Katie, Jamie, Mark and Civis the crow, following in their wake.  
  
----  
  
On Saturday morning, Harry was rather nervous and rose rather earlier than usual and spent three hours practicing his fighting techniques and then dressed and walked out to the pitch and spent another doing sprints and high-speed flying manoeuvres, then joined the team at the Gryffindor table.  
  
After an hour, Harry motioned for the team to get up. They do and they walked down to the Quidditch pitch with their brooms slung over their shoulders.  
  
After changing into their Quidditch uniforms, they sat down to wait for the signal to move out onto the pitch.  
  
At the stroke of eleven o'clock, Harry stood up. "Okay team, it's time."  
  
A/N: Sorry about the cliff-hanger folks but I wasn't sure how else to end the chapter. As always, please review. 


	20. Chapter 20: Potter v Chang

Chapter Twenty: Potter v. Chang  
  
The last weekend of the Easter break was notable for two things: the continuing build-up to the Quidditch final between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and the release of the appointment times for the individual career's advice interviews. Ginny's career interview was set to take on the Wednesday afternoon after they returned to classes.  
  
"Have you any idea what you want to do, Gin?" Harry asked her that evening as they sat curled up in their favourite armchair in the common room.  
  
Ginny looked up from the novel she was reading - the medieval adventure book Harry had bought for her nine months before in Diagon Alley - and frowned. "I'm sure. I thought about becoming an Auror, partly because I know you want to," she admitted.  
  
Harry nodded, "But...?"  
  
Ginny shrugged, "I keep coming back to the leaflet on Healers, I don't know why but something about them appeals to me. What do think I should do?"  
  
"I don't know, love," Harry admitted. " I'm going for Auror is because it feels that the natural thing to do, so I'd suggest going with whatever feels right to you. Either will be though, according to McGonagall it takes three years to become an Auror and you have to pass a lot aptitude tests and thins like that before you can get in, and from what I've heard about the Healers their training program is probably as difficult or even more so. Whatever you decide though, Gin, I'll support you all the way."  
  
"I know you will, Harry," Ginny told him, and opened her book again. "I never doubted that for a minute."  
  
With the topic of conversation exhausted, the couple lapsed back into a comfortable silence. So comfortable in fact that they fell asleep, and didn't wake up until the next morning - though they fortunately managed to avoid being caught by Ron.  
  
----  
  
The Wednesday post-lunch period found Harry, Ginny and Civis the crow climbing the main staircase on their way to Professor McGonagall's office. When they reached the office, Harry told Civis to remain outside while he went in with Ginny. As usual the 'crow' squawked an indignant protest but nonetheless flew off Harry's shoulder and perched on a convenient wall bracket.  
  
Harry knocked on the door and upon receiving an answering "Come in!" turned the handle and meeting no resistance, pushed the door open. "Ladies first?" he asked with a grin.  
  
Ginny scowled at him, but walked forward anyway, Harry followed her inside and closed the door behind him.  
  
"Hello, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall looked up as they sat down, then she started. "Mr Potter, what you doing here?"  
  
"It's okay, Professor, I asked him to come," Ginny told her. "Harry's my boyfriend, and he's going to be part of my life, so he might as well hear this."  
  
"Very well," said McGonagall. "Have you given any thought to a career as yet?"  
  
"I thought about either becoming an Auror or a Healer," Ginny admitted.  
  
"I see. Well, I believe the academic requirements are fairly similar..." McGonagall told them, digging out two familiar pamphlets. "Yes, they are. Both training programs require a minimum of 5 'Exceeds Expectations' at NEWT level, ideally in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration; the Healer Training Program also asks for an 'E' in Herbology as well."  
  
"Harry told me a while ago that it takes three years to train as an Auror?" Ginny said. "Is that right?"  
  
"Yes, Miss Weasley. The Healer Training Program takes four years to complete, then you must serve a one-year internship at St Mungo's or a similar institution."  
  
"Now as you may know, I require at least an 'E' for my NEWT class," Ginny nodded. "As does Professor Ambrose. However, you will need an 'O' to get into Professor Snape's class, and an 'A' to get into Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout's classes."  
  
"What about Hagrid's class?"  
  
"Hagrid will take any student who passes their Care of Magical Creatures OWL," McGonagall replied. "Is there anything else?"  
  
"No, thank you, Professor."  
  
"Very well then, Miss Weasley. That concludes your career consultation."  
  
Ginny smiled and got to her feet. Harry rose to go with her, then paused. "I'll see you at the Defence Council meeting later to-night?"  
  
"Of course, Mr Potter,"  
  
"I'll see you later then," said Harry, and followed Ginny out of the roof.  
  
----  
  
The next few weeks passed in a blur of classes, Quidditch practices, and DA sessions. On Saturday morning, Harry was rather nervous and rose rather earlier than usual and spent three hours practicing his fighting techniques and then dressed and walked out to the pitch and spent another doing sprints and high-speed flying manoeuvres, then joined the team at the Gryffindor table.  
  
After an hour, Harry motioned for the team to get up. They do and they walked down to the Quidditch pitch with their brooms slung over their shoulders. After changing into their Quidditch uniforms, they sat down to wait for the signal to move out onto the pitch.  
  
At the stroke of eleven o'clock, Harry stood up. "Okay team, it's time."  
  
----  
  
"Good morning everyone. And welcome to the last game of the Quidditch season," Abercrombie said with his usual enthusiasm. "Today, the defending champions, Gryffindor, take on Ravenclaw!"  
  
On this occasion, the cheers were roughly even, with the majority of the Slytherin supporters cheering for Ravenclaw, and most of the Hufflepuffs siding with Gryffindor. "Both teams are playing the same line-up as their other games this season," Abercrombie reminded the spectators. "However, just in case you forget, playing in red for Gryffindor today are. David, Shaw, Bell, Whisp, Weasley, Weasley, and. Potter!"  
  
There was another surge of cheers as the Gryffindor team strode out onto the pitch. Once it died down, Abercrombie continued. "And, playing in blue for Ravenclaw are. Boot, Goldstein, Turpin, Chang, Bradley, Chambers, and. Davies!"  
  
Roger Davies moved to face Harry across the circle at the centre of the pitch and Madam Hooch stood out into the middle of the pitch. "I want a nice clean game," she reminded them as she released the Bludgers and the Snitch, which immediately disappeared form view. Harry and Roger both nodded in agreement. She picked up the Quaffle and raised her whistle to her lips. "Let the game begin!"  
  
"Ravenclaw take possession, Bradley has the Quaffle and is moving for the Gryffindor goals. he ducks a Bludger sent his way by Beater David of Gryffindor, dodges past Chaser Bell and shoots. The Quaffle is intercepted by Ginny Weasley of Gryffindor. who passes to Whisp, Whisp heads for the Ravenclaw end, flanked by Bell and Shaw. he shoots and scores! Gryffindor opens the scoring and takes a lead of ten points!"  
  
"Ravenclaw takes possession, Chambers with the Quaffle. he passes the Quaffle to Roger Davies. they are joined by Chaser Bradley and they take up a Hawkeshead Attacking Formation and fly for the Gryffindor goal. Ravenclaw level the score at ten to ten!"  
  
Ginny intercepted the Quaffle, and then spotting Terry Boot - the slighter of Ravenclaw's two Beaters - closing in, she passed it Ron, who sent it curving towards Katie and Whisp, who promptly teamed up together to put another goal through Ravenclaw's rings.  
  
"Chaser Whisp of Gryffindor puts one through to give his team a ten-point lead! Gryffindor still has possession, Bell with the Quaffle... passes to Whisp, he shots... And, it's saved by Turpin! Ravenclaw in possession, Davies with the Quaffle... he takes a hit from a Bludger, sent his way by Beater Shaw of Gryffindor, and Gryffindor are back in possession."  
  
Twenty seconds later, Ginny managed to outmanoeuvre Lisa Turpin and score. Whisp intercepted the Quaffle as it plummeted towards the ground and was just about to pass it to Katie when a Bludger hit him in the gut, with a groan he fell to the ground. Harry could see that he was dazed but he got to his knees and was able to stagger off the pitch. "Chaser Whisp takes a hit from a Bludger and he's out of the game, Ravenclaw have possession and are heading for the Gryffindor goal."  
  
Outnumbered as they were by the equally skilled Ravenclaw team, it was only a matter of time before a break appeared in Gryffindor defences, and when it did the Ravenclaws took full advantage. "Captain Roger Davies scores again for Ravenclaw, they now tie Gryffindor 20-20, and are still in possession."  
  
"Chaser Bradley takes another shot at the Gryffindor hoops. nice Starfish and Stick manoeuvre by Gryffindor Keeper Ronald Weasley. Gryffindor are back in possession, Weasley with the Quaffle. reverse passes to Katie Bell, Bell takes aim at the Ravenclaw goal. Turpin moves to intercept. but it's a feint! Bell passes the Quaffle back to Ginny Weasley, who shoots. and gets it through no trouble at all. Gryffindor are now back in the lead at thirty points to twenty!"  
  
The next hour followed a similar give-and-take pattern, Gryffindor would score, then Ravenclaw would capture the Quaffle and score themselves, usually after one or two failures, then Gryffindor would get the Quaffle back and the whole would start all over again. Finally, with the score at fifty points to forty in Gryffindor's favour, Harry finally spotted the glint of gold he had been searching for: the Golden Snitch. But there was a problem, Cho Chang hadn't spotted it yet but she was a lot closer to the Snitch than he was and if he flew towards it there was no way he could get to it before she did.  
  
Well, time to show her something, a little different. decided Harry and sped upwards, straining for as much height was he could. When he thought he was high enough, and as close to the correct position as he could afford, Harry banked downwards, then sending a command to his broomstick, he slipped off it, he began to fall through the air.  
  
He ignored the gasps of surprise and shock for the watching spectators, and grinned as he saw Cho's shocked expression as he dropped towards the ground. I hope this works. Harry thought to himself. I've never done this before, and if that charm doesn't work like Civis says it does, I'm going to make a very big mess on the ground.  
  
Fifty feet from the ground, Harry shot out both his arms and twisted in mid- air so he was falling feet first, grabbing the Snitch as he passed it, then half a second later he felt an impact as he landed back onto his broom.  
  
He drifted to the ground and then dismounting, held up the Snitch for all to see.  
  
"I don't believe it!" declared Abercrombie. "Gryffindor Captain Harry Potter catches the Snitch, and Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup for the third season in a row!"  
  
I did it, Harry thought himself as the stadium echoed with the cheers of the Gryffindor supporters. We won.  
  
Ron and the Chasers were the first to reach him; first Katie, then Ron grabbed him round the shoulders in a comradely hug, Harry accepted them for a minute, then he broke away from them and embraced Ginny in a very different, more passionate hug. "We won, Gin," he said, grinning down at his beaming girlfriend. "We did it."  
  
"Yes we did, Harry."  
  
"Yeah, great job, Captain," said Henry Shaw, grinning broadly, and everyone present - which now included the two reserve players and the other Chaser, Wilhelm Whisp - echoed his sentiment.  
  
"We did it together, guys. I couldn't have done it without you all," he told them and lead the way to where Dumbledore and the other teachers were waiting.  
  
Civis, Hermione, and the others joined them at the base of the teacher's stand. "That was pretty cool what you did, Harry," said Jamie. "Did you know it would work?"  
  
"Actually, I didn't," Harry admitted.  
  
Hermione scowled. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOING?! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!!"  
  
"Don't exaggerate, Hermione," Harry admonished her. "It was a controlled fall. At worst, I would've got a broken leg or two. It was worth it."  
  
Hermione snorted in disgust, but said nothing, as Harry moved up to collect the silver cup from Dumbledore and raised it into the air as the stadium erupted in cheers.  
  
When he stepped back, the two Beaters raised him onto their shoulders and carried him through the crowds.  
  
---  
  
"I hope I didn't scare you, love," Harry asked Ginny a few minutes later, as they joined the victory party at Gryffindor Tower. After getting some snacks and a couple of bottles of Butterbeer from the table that Civis had set up in the common room and carried them over to their favourite chair near the fire.  
  
"You didn't, Harry," Ginny assured him, snuggling closer to him. "To be honest, I didn't notice you falling until you'd turned in mid-air, so I guessed that you at least had an idea what you were doing."  
  
"I'm glad," Harry told her, reaching over her to pick up a couple of treats from a plate perched on the chair arm. He fed one treat to his girlfriend and then ate one himself. "I don't want you to be afraid for me, Gin."  
  
"I know, Harry," said Ginny, taking a mouthful of Butterbeer from the bottle wedged into the other side of the chair. "I try not to be."  
  
The party continued until well after midnight, and only ended because Katie and Harry decided that enough was enough and ordered everyone to bed.  
  
"I'll see you in the morning, Gin."  
  
"Okay, Harry," agreed Ginny, and pulled him into a secluded corner so they could hug.  
  
After a couple of minutes, they separated. Harry dropped a last kiss on Ginny's forehead. "Good night, love."  
  
"Good night, Harry," said Ginny, and moved up the girls' staircase to bed.  
  
Harry stood smiling in the common room for a minute or two, then headed up to bed himself.  
  
A/N: The 'Leap of Faith' (the manoeuvre that Harry used to capture the Snitch) was invented by FanFiction.Net author AlL rOaDs LeAd To HeLl and was used with the author's permission. There is only going to be one more chapter to go, but I'm afraid it probably won't be up for at least a week as I've started university now. As always please review. 


	21. Chapter 21: Another Year Gone

Chapter Twenty-One: Another Year Gone  
  
The students only had a week of breathing space before the exams began: Katie, Cho, Roger Davies and the other seventh years had to take their NEWTs; Ginny, Luna, Sharon Skelton and their fellow fifth years had their OWL exams to sit; while the rest of the school had their own end-of-year tests, and Harry volunteered to cover most of Katie and Roger's duties as Heads of the School so they could spend more time on their revision.  
  
When Harry wasn't busy with classes or his DA duties, he spent most of his time in either the Hogwarts' Library or his office, researching advanced magic and helping Ginny and Luna with their OWLs revision. Their first exam, Theory of Charms, was scheduled for first Tuesday in June, with Practical Application of Transfiguration in the afternoon and both of the DADA exams a day later.  
  
Professor Ambrose was called away on Order business the Tuesday before the start of the OWL exams and as a result Harry was busy covering her classes, so the first chance he got to talk to the two girls was when they joined him for a study session on Friday night. "How did your exams go?" Harry asked them when they came in.  
  
"It was okay, Harry," Ginny told him, when they arrived. She took her copy of the Standard Book of Spells (Grade 6) out of her bag and joined Harry on the sofa. "I think DADA went better than Charms though."  
  
"What about you, Luna?" Harry asked.  
  
"Fine, fine," said Luna, absently, fingering one or two books on Harry's bookshelf.  
  
Harry smiled. "Try Fox Luscly's Study of Explained Phenomenon, it's in the middle of the bottom shelf," he suggested. "I think you might find it interesting."  
  
"Thanks Harry."  
  
After rooting around for a while Luna found the suggested volume, an attractive black, leather-bound book with a stylised 'X' monogram on the cover. She crossed to one of the chairs and cracked it open.  
  
Harry and Ginny curled up cosily together on their sofa and paged through Ginny's Charms book, once or twice pausing so that Harry could explain one or two things that she was struggling with.  
  
----  
  
Harry had just left his first exam, Care of Magical Creatures, and was heading back to the Gryffindor common room when he heard shouting coming from the dungeon stairs. Ignoring the calls of his friends he vaulted down the steps and hurried towards the sound. When he finally located the problem, he groaned - Malfoy and his cronies had been pushing a couple of Hufflepuff first years around and had been caught by Romulus Moon, the new sixth year Prefect - Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the group, he yelled, "Expelliarmus!"  
  
Crabbe and Goyle's wands flew out of their hands and a snap-kick knocked Nott's wand out of his hand while a precisely-targeted glaive knocked Malfoy's out of his hand just as he was about to nail Moon with a Stunner from behind.  
  
Moon turned around and smiled, "Harry! Thanks for the assist."  
  
"You're welcome, take fifty points."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"As for you," said Harry, turning to the other Slytherins. "Malfoy, Professor Dumbledore warned you that if you went out of line again, you'd be expelled."  
  
"Yes, he did, Potter. What are you going to do about it?"  
  
"He's got better things to do," decided Harry. "So I'll make it thirty points from Slytherin each, and detention. Hagrid needs some volunteers to help clear out the Thestral stable."  
  
"When?"  
  
"You can start on Friday night, and you can continue until Hagrid's satisfied."  
  
"Can I go?"  
  
"Yes, you can," said Harry, then once Malfoy and his goons were out of sight he turned to Moon, who was checking over the two young Hufflepuffs. "How are they?"  
  
"They're fine," Moon replied, and helped the two girls to their feet. They paused for a minute and then ran off in the opposite direction.  
  
"How are things, Romulus?"  
  
"Not easy, Harry," the tall, wiry Slytherin admitted. "Although things have been a bit easier since Parkinson handing in her badge and Blaise took over. Bletchley and Selvina are still causing problems though."  
  
"They'll be gone in a few weeks," Harry reminded him.  
  
"I can't wait," Moon admitted.  
  
"Have you got a minute?" Harry asked, heading back towards the dungeon stairs. "My copy of Professor Orpheii's Study of Dream-Magic, is in my office drawer if you'd like to borrow it."  
  
"That would be great, Harry," Moon agreed and followed Harry up the stairs to his office.  
  
After picking up the dream-magic book Moon headed back down to the dungeons, while Harry headed up to the seventh floor and Gryffindor common room. Just as he was passing second floor he got a telepathic call from Dr Chrystan.  
  
«What is it, Doctor?»  
  
«I think I may have found something, could you come to the library?»  
  
«Now?»  
  
«If you don't mind?»  
  
«I'm on my way,» Harry replied and set off towards the Library.  
  
----  
  
When Harry arrived in the Library, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Professor Ambrose were waiting next to the Librarian's desk. When he joined them, he saw two spelled mirrors propped up on the desk. Moody was watching through one and Sirius, Remus Lupin and Leona White were watching through the other.  
  
"I'm glad you could join us, Harry," said Dumbledore. "Rex, please continue."  
  
"Thank you, Albus," said Dr Chrystan. "I think I've found a reference in this book to something that might help you defeat Voldemort."  
  
"So what do we have to do?" Harry asked him, a little impatiently.  
  
"I'm not sure," he admitted. "This book does go into detail, only the Scrolls of Amor to get the exact details but I know that it's some sort of ritual spell designed to use love to destroy an irrevocably evil person."  
  
"That does sound promising," said Dumbledore. "Do you have any idea where the scrolls might be?"  
  
Dr Chrystan shook his head. "They aren't here, but they would be in a major library if they're anywhere."  
  
"Albus, they might be at Gryphon's Eyrie," Remus interjected. "We have quite a large collection of scrolls in the library here."  
  
Dr Chrystan perked up, "Can I come down for a look? If I can find that scroll we could finish off Voldemort fairly easily."  
  
"It's Harry's call," Sirius reminded him.  
  
Dr Chrystan turned to Harry, who nodded agreement immediately. "I'll do anything it takes to defeat him."  
  
"Very well," said Dumbledore. "I look forward to hearing of your success."  
  
With that, the group dispersed and Harry headed up to the common room to tell his friends the good news.  
  
----  
  
Two weeks later, the exams were finished and as expected Harry and his friends passed their end-of-year tests to the expected standard and Katie obtained the results she needed - an 'Outstanding' in DADA, Herbology and Potions, and an 'Exceeds Expectations' in Charms, Muggle Studies and Transfiguration - for entry onto the Auror program.  
  
"Will I see you in two years, Harry?" asked Katie, when she and Harry met up in his office the evening that the results came out.  
  
"I think so, Katie," Harry admitted, he passed Katie a Butterbeer and moved to his bookcase. He pulled out a large book and turned it face up, then paused and handed it to Katie.  
  
Her eyes bulged, "Where did you find a copy of the Necra Arcana? I've been trying to get hold of that since fifth year!"  
  
Harry shrugged, "There are a couple of copies in the library at my castle. I thought you might like one."  
  
"Thanks Harry."  
  
They finished their Butterbeers and then Katie rose to go. "I'll see you later, Harry."  
  
"See you later, Katie. Remember the last DA meeting is tomorrow night."  
  
"I'll be there," she promised and then left.  
  
Harry sat in his desk chair for about five minutes and then vanished the empty bottles and left the room.  
  
----  
  
"I don't intend to teach anything new today," Harry told the assembled DA group, which had been joined by a few of the first years - Jamie, Mark and Anita - plus Lilith Portland and Scott Summersby. "All I wanted to do was say goodbye to Katie and thank her for all her help this year, and to say that I've been proud of how you have all endured this year, and I know how difficult is has been. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it's probably going to get worse before gets better. Voldemort is back, and he won't back down... won't give up, until either everyone in his way is either dead or imprisoned, and he controls the world; or until he is stopped. There are plans in progress to stop him, but it will take time... if we stay strong and support each other, we can do it."  
  
Ginny stood and moved to Harry's side. "We'll be there, Harry."  
  
Several of those present nodded and they raised their glasses in a toast.  
  
----  
  
Two days later, the students gathered in the Great Hall for the End-of-Year Feast. Looking over at the Ravenclaw table, Harry could see Luna sitting there, chatting lightly with a couple of the other members of the DA. Harry had remembered what he had found out before the End-of-Year Feast the year before, and so he had got Dobby, Winky and Civis go around the castle the evening before and retrieve her belongings from their hiding places.  
  
As usual, once everyone was seated in their place, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. "Another year gone!" he said, and Harry noticed that he seemed slightly more cheerful than he had at the last couple of occasions. "And we have all weathered its challenges, some of us well." At this, his glaze wandered over Harry, the Bones sisters, and others. "And others not so well."  
  
Harry, seeing where Dumbledore was looking this time grinned to himself. He doubted very much that anyone present didn't know who and what the Headmaster was talking about.  
  
"Now, as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Slytherin, with one hundred and twenty points; in third place, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and sixty-two points; in second place, Ravenclaw, with four hundred and twelve points; and in first place, Gryffindor with five hundred and ninety-seven points."  
  
The applause from the Gryffindor table was tumultuous, and when some of the students from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables - mainly members of the DA - joined in too, the noise was so loud that it took almost half-an-hour for Dumbledore to make himself heard.  
  
When the students returned to their seats, Dumbledore resumed his speech. "Well done, Gryffindor!" he declared. "However, despite this happy occasion, we must remember that dark times are upon us. When you return to your homes, be on your guard and do not hesistate to call upon myself or any of my staff should you feel the need. Enjoy yourselves, be safe, and for those of you who are going out into the world over the summer. Good luck and Godspeed to you all."  
  
After waiting for a minute or two for the meaning of his speech to sink in, Dumbledore signalled for them to begin the Feast.  
  
-----  
  
As it had been on previous occasions that year, Harry's compartment was rather crowded: Harry, Jamie, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Mark, Civis - in his crow form - and the Weasleys were all in there. The trip went smoothly, most of the DA popped in for at least a visit - with Katie, the Boneses, Romulus Moon, Blaise Zabini and a few others staying the longest - and there were no unwelcome interruptions from Malfoy or any of his dwindling number of supporters. Ron, Ginny, and Jamie played a few games of Wizard's Chess - her grasp of strategy was one of the few traits that she didn't share with her cousin - and Hermione, Luna and Civis spent the journey discussing magical creatures, while Harry and Neville were content to sit and enjoy the company, contributing occasionally to the conversation.  
  
When they arrived at King's Cross, the group was met by the usual escort, as well as Mr and Mrs Weasley and Neville's grandmother. After saying goodbye to Harry and Jamie, Hermione, Luna and the Weasleys disappeared with Mr and Mrs Weasley and Neville left with his grandmother. Watching Mark leave for the car park with his own parents, Harry was struck by a thought and turned to Sirius and the others. "Do you mind if we take a little detour? There's something I need to take care of."  
  
After a moments thought, Sirius, Tonks and Kingsley agreed that it shouldn't be a problem, but suggested they check with Moody first. When the group were safely inside the large taxi, Kingsley picked up the radio mike. "Sovereign calling Cyclops, do you read Cyclops?"  
  
"Loud and clear."  
  
"The subject wants to take a detour. Is that a problem?"  
  
"Where too?"  
  
When Kingsley turned round to ask, Harry replied. "Little Whinging."  
  
----  
  
When they arrived in Little Whinging, Susan and Anita stayed in the car with Kingsley, Leona and the three Hit Wizards as a guard, while Sirius, Lupin and Tonks followed Harry and Jamie towards Privet Drive.  
  
For once their luck was in, it took them only a few minutes to locate their quarry: Dudley Dursley. He was sitting on one of the benches in the park, apparently waiting for his gang to arrive. They joined him, and when he didn't look up, Harry drew one of his sticks and tapped his beefy cousin on the shoulder. Dudley looked up, and his watery-blue eyes widened. "You!" he shouted. "What are you doing here?!"  
  
"I've got a message for you, Dud," Harry told him. "A warning in fact."  
  
"What sort of warning?" asked Dudley, not noticing the three adult wizards ranged around him.  
  
"Mark Evans."  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"He's a 'freak' like me, Dud," Harry replied. "And a friend of a friend."  
  
"So?" said Dudley, raising a fist. "What do I care?"  
  
"If you hurt him, you'll regret it," Harry replied, twirling the stick in his hand.  
  
"I'm not scared of you!" Dudley roared, swinging his ham-sized fist towards Harry's head.  
  
Before any of the adults could react, Harry ducked the clumsy strike and drove the butt of his stick into his cousin's fleshy solar plexus. Dudley puffed and staggered backward. Taking the opening, Harry turned to the side and smashed a clenched fist into his jaw. This time Dudley's eyes took on a glazed look and he slid to the ground.  
  
"You have been warned," Harry reminded him, and then turned to Sirius. "Let's go."  
  
When they returned to the car, Kingsley drove them to Arabella Figg's house. Harry led the way up to the door and rang the bell. A moment later, Mrs Figg opened the door and scowled. "Harry? What are you doing here, I thought you were going back to your castle?"  
  
"I am," Harry confirmed. "We just came up to have a word with Dudley. Can we use your fireplace?"  
  
"Of course, Harry," the old Squib replied immediately, standing to one side so that the group could enter. "Who are your other friends?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Mrs Figg. My cousin, Jamie, and Susan and Anita Bones, who are also living with me at the castle."  
  
Mrs Figg nodded and unearthed a pot of Floo Powder, and handed it out, and then the group Flooed home.  
  
A/N: That's all folks! Before I go I'd like to address one or two points made by recent reviewers: Dearc Aillse, as I have already pointed out in a previous author's note, the anti-Apparation wards around Hogwarts only affect wizards, magical creatures (like house elves and hobgoblins) can bypass them, also the correct historical name for The Stone is the Philosopher's Stone, the Sorcerer's Stone is an alternative name invented by JK Rowling for the American book; shdurrani, you're right, I am a Star Trek fan. There was another Star Trek reference in Chapter Fifteen, can you spot it? E-mail me or review if you do. As for the fate of the story itself, I am trying to find a good site that will put up a beta'ed version of ToC and I have also started work on the notes for the sequel Harry Potter and the Scrolls of Amor, but because of my university commitments it will may be a few weeks before I can get the first chapter up on FF.Net. As always please review. 


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